The Atlas or as it was known in Wa-Daisho, the "Monster", is a post-apocalypse production version of an experimental heavy tank for the US Army that was under development in the late 2080's. The XM20A1, as it was known, was a monstrous armored vehicle that harkened back to the early history of tanks. It had a mammoth structure with a main rotating turret, with two large guns at each side of the vehicle that could swivel side to side - reminiscent of World War I tanks. It utilized this old world styling along with modern technologies for composite armor that compared in strength to those of combat naval vessels, mass driver cannon technology for the main weapon, a Hellfire Missile Launcher in the front of the hull, and numerous counter measures systems. This made it one of the most advanced pieces of military hardware in the 21st century - and would be feared by all on the battlefield. There was however a chink in this vehicle's proverbial armor however. Although powerful, it was incredibly heavy - so much so that many tests proved that it was not suited to any but the most ideal combat situations. Due to it's weight, which was approximately 100 tons, it was also very slow - capable of the humiliating speed of 40 mph. Thus this vehicle was sent to the "wizards" in Salt Lake City to develop further, and lighten it, while still retaining it's powerful capabilities. Unfortunately technicians located in the military labs were unable to come up with a solution to it's problems by the time the city was destroyed.
At the time of Salt Lake City's destruction, a pitiful 25 examples of this vehicle had been built, and were in a state of partial assembly while in storage in the underground facility of Area 51. Once Salt Lake City was destroyed, the project for the XM20A1 was canceled as being too impractical. Those that were already built sat in Area 51 throughout the cataclysm until they were unearthed by the black market. They were reassembled in 112PA, and have since been used as mobil defense platforms to protect the secret location of Bandito Arms.
When King Ripley decided to start up S-Mart, among the designs that he learned of was the XM20A1. Although it was thought to be impractical by the US Army, King Ripley saw instead a wonderful design for a mobil gun platform - perfect for defending city state nations that are so prominent in this post cataclysmic world. Thus in 113PA S-Mart began production of a limited number of these vehicles, in two versions. One was a lesser armored version that would be provided to Allied Nations only - and another design exclusively for Desert Star's new N.O.M.A.D. Military. This new vehicle design would be known as the S-Mart Atlas, or later as Wa-Daisho would call it - the Monster.
At the very end of 114PA a dozen Atlases were ready for service. Seven of them were Atlas-As, going to the N.O.M.A.D. Military, and five of the lesser armored Atlas-Bs went to Wa-Daisho's Armored Units. In 115PA an additional 62 vehicles were built, 17 of which joined Wa-Daisho's ranks, and 45 joined the N.O.M.A.D. Military. 116PA was the last year the Atlas was in production, with a final 12 going to the N.O.M.A.D. Military, and 40 more going to the Imperial Kyatashiro Army.
Those that joined Wa-Daisho's Armored Units, left them rather quickly. The Monster as they called it, was an ideal vehicle for defense of their island nation - but the role of their military was changing. Their military, converting to a dual role of defense and Allied Intervention required a more versatile vehicle design. Thus in February of 118PA all 22 vehicles in their service were shipped via Iron Horse to Tolkeen, in a lend lease, in favor of the new Masakari.
The Atlas-As in the service of Desert Star's N.O.M.A.D. Military and the Atlas-Bs in the service of the Imperial Kyatashiro Army have served faithfully throughout their time and will likely remain in service for many years to come in their role as defensive mobile gun platforms.
Model Type: XM20A1, Atlas-A, Atlas-B; aka Monster.
Class: Heavy Tank.
Crew: 3; A pilot, gunner, and the Tank Commander.
M.D.C. by Location: (See the note below.)
Gatling Turret - 50.
Rapid Fire Field Cannons (2) - 275 each.
Foreward Missile Launcher - 300.
Turret - 850. (650 for the B.)
3 cm Mass Driver Cannon - 300.
*Tracks (2) - 200.
Reinforced Pilots Compartment - 300.
**Main Body - 1,550. (1,300 for the B.)
* Depleting the M.D.C. of the tread means that 1D4 of the plates have been blown apart. An experienced crew can repair this damage in 1D6x10 minutes under no fire. (If under fire, the crew will feel stressed
and acquire a -20% to his/her mechanical engineer roll or Pilot Tanks/APCs.) Due to the treads shielded position it can only be struck at a penalty of -3.)
** Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body means that the tanks hull is in tatters, and subsequent shells/rounds have a 01-20% chance of striking the ammo-magazine detonating all remaining rounds. 21-75% will strike the Reinforced Pilots Compartment, and 76-00% simply punches holes in the
already "shattered" hull.
Note: The Atlas is armored with a Pre-RIFT composite of Mega-Damage materials sandwiched together using an ultra tough bonding agent. This Composite Armor was designed to protect against heavy hitting kinetic attacks such as rail guns, mass driver cannons, armor piercing explosives, ramjets, etc. Thus these weapons all do HALF DAMAGE!
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 40 mph.
Maximum Underwater Speed: 20 mph.
Maximum Depth: 31'; with breather tube. 250' buttoned up.
Maximum Effective Range: Unlimited; Thanks to the nuclear power supply.
Statistical Data:
Height: 25'.
Width: 21'.
Length: 45'.
Weight: 100 tons.
Cargo: Minimal Storage space; 4'x4'x4' area, plus up to 5 tons external cargo, or can pull up to 30 tons.
Power System: Nuclear, average energy life of 20 years.
Market Cost: Unavailable, as the type is out of production. It IS possible that some of Wa-Daisho's Atlas-Bs which were lend leased to Tolkeen could fall into the hands of black marketeers, or be captured, and resold by mercenaries. These vehicles are incredibly rare, and would never be more than one or two of them available - EVER. The Black Market, if they attained one, would likely send them back to Area 51 for study, and then to join the XM20A1s they have in service currently. However, if by some fluke it were sold it would go for anywhere from 150-200 million credits. A good adventure concept for a bunch of thieves would also be the possible capture of such a vehicle, or perhaps even a N.O.M.A.D. A version, for a collector, or company interested in knocking-off the mammoth design.
Weapon Systems
1. 3 cm Mass Driver Cannon: This Mass Driver Cannon is the largest ever mounted on a tank. It is designed to bust light tanks in two or three shots, and to shatter anything lighter. Similarly to a rail gun, this weapon uses electromagnetics to fire a shell. In this weapon's case, however, it fires ONE 3 cm (30 mm) wide, 30 cm long slug at a rate of speed even greater than that of most rail guns to inflict grievous damage to anything struck. Protruding from the oversized turret, the barrel of this weapon is deceptively small in bore - yet in all reality it is the most devastating armor piercing weapon ever deployed on the battlefields of Earth.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Aircraft.
Mega-Damage: 5D6x10 M.D.
Blast Radius: Not applicable.
Rate of Fire: Unlike the main weapons of most tanks, this powerful weapon needs no large complicated loading systems, because it's rounds are nothing more than hard, dense slugs fired at high velocities. Therefore it is equal to the primary gunner's hand to hand attacks.
Maximum Effective Range: 5 miles.
Bonus: +2 to strike targets in motion due to weapon stabilization.
Payload: In the Atlas's oversized turret are 200 slugs, stored in an ammo drum, that await firing. After which the 2 Lbs shells can be either be loaded by hand or the drum may be replaced at a battlefield reloading station.
Reload Cost: Each of the slugs cost 2,000 credits.
2. RFFC-16 Rapid Fire Field Cannons (2): These are the secondary weapons of the Atlas, mounted on the right and left side swivel mounts. These weapons like all RFFCs, are small caliber (20 mm) cannons designed to fire two armor piercing shells as a normal cannon, a nano-second apart, and then accelerates these specially designed cannon shells using electromagnetics - not dissimilar from the way a rail gun functions. Under normal circumstances they are operated by the Tank Commander.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 M.D.
Blast Radius: 2'.
Rate of Fire: Dual Shell Bursts Only.
Maximum Effective Range: 3,000'.
Payload: The R.F.F.C. drums carries 100 shells per gun; meaning that each gun has 50 dual shell bursts.
Reload Cost: Each shell costs 400 credits to replace.
3. Medium Range Missile Launcher: In times of old, this missile system would have been loaded with antiquated Hellfire missiles. However, in this Post Apocalyptic day and age, it has instead been fitted with much longer ranged Medium Range Missiles. It is a missile battery situated on the forward hull of the vehicle just in front of and below the base of the turret, and is typically operated by the Tank Commander, but can be operated by the gunner.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Fortress.
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type.
Blast Radius: Varies with missile type.
Rate of Fire: 1, 3, 9, or 11 at a time.
Maximum Effective Range: Varies with missile type.
Payload: 11 missiles
Reload Cost: Varies with missile type, See pg 56 of RIFTS Sourcebook 1.
4. Active Explosive Anti-Missile System: This system was devised in the late 20th century as a
means to stem the growing threat of Anti-Tank missiles. What it is, is several explosive charges
placed at various points & angles around the Atlas that detonate when the radar picks up a "slow"
moving object approaching the tank, hopefully destroying or at least diverting it, which it does at an
impressive 90% efficiency. (It can be used against multiple missiles without penalty.) Note:
Destroys/Diverts it's target from 75' out.
Mega-Damage: 5D6 M.D.
Payload: Special! Starts at 75% efficiency, for every 4 blasts fired, reduce this percentage by 10%.
Reload Costs: It Costs 375 credits to replace each charge fired.
5. Active Gatling Anti-Missile System: Another system devised in the late 20th century, but
brought to this form in the early 21st century, to defend against the new mini nukes and proton
torpedoes, coming onto the battlefield. What it does is protect the Atlas from "slow" moving
projectiles by releasing a hail of ramjet rounds at 300'. Like the AEAMS, this system is radar
guided, and has a 90% kill rate, however for every additional missile the percentage drops by 10%.
The AGAMS is mounted in a mini turret mounted atop the main turret.
Mega-Damage: On a successful hit each missile will receive 1D4x10MD per 100' of travel (from the
AGAMS range of 300')
Payload: 10,000' worth (ie 4 mini missiles=400' since they are destroyed in the first 100' of their
travel, 2 LRMs=400' if they are destroyed in the end of their second hundred feet, of their 300'
course, etc.)
Reload Costs: Reloads cost 200 credits per 100' of ammo.
6. Additional Systems of Note: This vehicle incorporates all the usual environmental features found in robot vehicles including environmental protection, environmental control, air filtration, an independant 12 hour supply of air, heat and radiation shielding.
1. Telescopic Optics: These are exactly as they sound, telescopic optics that enhance the image of far away objects. At a range of 6,000' an object appears only 100' away, as an example. The range of this system is 6,000' effectively - but it can enhance the image of objects further away yet still, they just are not quite so well detailed.
2. Thermal Imaging Optics: This is very similar to Infrared Optics in the sense that it detects heat, but unlike the imprecise nature of infrared optics, this measures the heat signature precisely displaying them in colorful shades of reds, yellows, greens and blues with various degrees of heat. The thermal imaging optics are also far more sensitive than the infrared optics, actually allowing them to see heat through walls of structures at certain distances. The range of this system is 2,000', but it can only see heat through an obstacle such as a brick wall from 100'.
3. Military Radio & Scrambler: This is the same radio equipment, bolt for bolt, microchip for microchip, as the system found on the USA-G10 Glitterboy. The broadcast range is a modest 50 miles. By resetting the radio transmitter inside the vehicle to an elevated position, however, the same transmitter can achieve a fairly consistent 500 mile range using atmospheric bounce. Atmospheric anomalys can extend this range still further or can completely disable the radio system within a set radius, it just depends on the circumstances. The scrambler system allows the radio signals to be scrambled to all those not equipped with the correct scrambling codes.
4. I.F.F. Transponder System: This system transmits data such as alpha-numeric designation code, course, mission, base of operations, and unit, via radio signal, to other similarly equipped military stations, vehicles, and power armor suits that have been programmed with the correct access codes. This allows a friendly N.O.M.A.D. soldier in an S-Mart Assassin, overflying an armored collumn, to quickly determine who these individuals are. This also allows field commanders to keep far better track of their military assets. A further feature of this system is that it functions well as a distress beacon. A note towards the safety of I.F.F. - is that the codes are very difficult to break. Since the N.O.M.A.D. Military periodically changes their I.F.F. safety codes - attempts to crack the codes that have taken weeks of supercomputer analysis - are for naught. Those Atlases that are sold DO include this system but it is programmed as a civilian system, readily read by N.O.M.A.D. Military programmed I.F.F. transponders.
5. Laser Communication System: This is a specialized laser and receiver that transmits and receives data to another laser communications device, whether power armor or otherwise mounted. It is exclusively a line of sight communications method. Range is approximately 6,000'.
6. Radar & Visual Rangefinders: This is a combination of a special form of radar and a complex targeting sight that aids gunners in ranged combat, providing a bonus of +2 to strike at all ranges exceeding 1,000'.
7. Military Radar & Tracking Computer: This is a powerful radar transmitter and receiver system set in a small radome on top of the turret, that can rotate three hundred and sixty degrees or focus on a solitary location, for a maximum range of 50 miles. Ground clutter is filtered by the advanced tracking computer linked to the radar system, allowing it to track even ground vehicles with little impediment. The only thing that will shorten the range of the radar is if the landscape itself somehow obscures targets within it's range. The tracking computer linked to this radar set can identify and track up to a 100 separate targets both in the air and on the ground.
8. Inertial Navigation Computer: This system assists the vehicle in navigation through the use of three ring laser gyros by indicating exactly how far, in what direction, at what altitude, and at what speed the vehicle has traveled - down to an accuracy of 1/1000 of a mile. If available, coupled with a map of the region loaded into this nav comp, this system becomes nearly fail safe - provided that the crew using the system can read a map. This provides crews with a Navigation skill a +20% to all skill rolls. Every few hundred thousand miles of travel this system requires recalibration, which is easily done by a push of a button inside of the vehicle. S-Mart has maps available of the entire surrounding region (250 mile radius) of each Desert Star, Wa-Daisho, Lazlo, the Coalition States, Northern Gun/Manistique Imperium, and the Colorado Baronies available at a cost of 200 credits per programming package.
9. Laser Detector: This system is composed of a handful of sensitive light sensors spread out over the surface of the vehicle, specifically calibrated to detect the light from a laser beam. It's purpose is to detect any and all laser targeting systems currently trained on the vehicle. This system may be set only to emit a high pitched bell sound or it may be set to automatically activate the Anti-Laser Aerosol System.
10. Military Radar Detector: This system detects radar waves as they pass over the vehicle, indicating to the crew that they have been picked up on radar. It is at least a fairly sensitive system though, that can tell the difference between a low power radar system like those found on most power armor that cannot see through ground clutter, and a true military grade radar that can. The only failing of this system is that if the vehicle is ever attacked by a microwave type weapon it will fry this sensor automatically.
11. Painting Laser: This specialized targeting device is used to aid laser guided munitions into their target. This can be handily used with laser guided medium range missiles, carried by the Atlas, or to aid air dropped laser guided munitions by guiding them into the target. In either case this provides the laser guided munitions with a +3 to strike.
12. Damage Control Computer: This is a specialized computer that records all damage inflicted to the vehicle, and reports it to the tank commander. This computer will also reroute electronics to alternate circuits in the event that a significant hit knocks out some piece of vital electronics.
13. Smoke Dispensers: The Atlas carries six separate smoke dispensers, each of which contain five dense capsules that when ignited release a forty foot by forty foot cloud of dense infrared and laser resistant smoke. This can be handy for concealing the Atlas from attackers, providing them with a penalty of -3 to strike, or it may be handy also for creating a smoke screen for troops moving beyond where the Atlas is located - obscuring their location so that the enemy in question cannot see them. Each capsule costs 30 credits to replace.
14. Chaff & Flare Dispensers: Mounted in the side of the Atlas's turret is this dispenser that is designed to spoof radar, radar guided munitions and missiles, thermal imaging optics, nightvision optics, and infrared optics. As modern missile types are both optic & radar guided, these dispensers work in tandem to release a white hot flare and a shower of metallic bits simultaniously. The optics guideance is knocked out 90% of the time, but the radar guideance is only fooled 70% of the time. Payload for both types of dispensers is 20, and reloading costs 50 credits per bundle.
15. Anti-Laser Aerosol Unit: This is a small vent that releases a blast of a grayish glittering cloud of highly reflective metal fragments at a high rate of speed, to protect the Atlas from laser targeting devices, as well as laser weapons! The cloud only lasts for about 1D4 melees, a single melee in high winds, or a single round of attacks if the Atlas is in motion. The aerosol cannister has a payload of 30 gas blasts, and they cost 15 credits to replace.
7. Physical Attacks: Like any vehicle, it in itself can be a very efficient weapon;
Ramming Vehicles/Creatures/Buildings More Than 2 tons: 6D6 M.D. per 10 mph.
Ramming Vehicles/Creatures/Buildings Less Than 2 tons: 3D6 M.D. per 10 mph, and typically will run it
over inflicting an additional 3D6x10 M.D. from it's weight alone!
The image above is reprinted, with permission, from R. Talsorian Games Inc. Cyberpunk 2020®'s Sourcebook Maximum Metal. In the sourcebook it is seen as the U.S. M-20 Superheavy Tank. All rights remain reserved by R. Talsorian Games Inc., and SirTenzan's RIFTS Gallery acknowledges and respects these rights. This image is reprinted as a means of creating a wonderful new vehicle for RIFTS, using the spectacular artistry of R. Talsorian Games Inc. illustrators.
