Ok, here is my idea for an alternate 'upgrade' to the Spartas. Basically, I went with the idea that there may have been an early attempt to switch away from chemically driven slugthrowers to rail-guns (which would be a natural technological progression) but the early modeled failed. It would later be revived as a competitor design to the 'All Energy' upgrade of the Spartas, coming into limited production at the same time as the VHT-1A1 Officer's Prototype. Alternately, it could also be made available as a 'kit' update to the Spartas (minus the ablative armour chest piece), which would likely be the method chosen for most ATAC units assigned to The Pioneer Mission (as resource management is considerably more stringent out on the front lines than on Earth during this period).
For those that may wonder, I chose the term Kataphract for one type of Late Roman cavalry, based on the horse units of the Scytho-Sarmatian peoples of the Black Sea area in the 2nd/3rd Century AD. The gunpod is named for the Sarmatian long lance, the Kontus (or Kontarius) wielded from horseback 2-handed style (and done before the stirrup became available). As for the STAP rounds, I am under the assumption that they are stored in a single metal canister that is lightly held together (for loading/storing), but that upon release from the railgun, would normally come apart. The casing is held together magnetically (basically a ribbon of a magnetic field extends from the raIlgun) and when near the target simply quits, thus causing the casing to split open and shower its target with tungsten darts.
Anyway, I might redo the Super Logan and post it here since some seem to love it as the original needs a little cleaning up in my opinion.
VHT-2 Kataphract Veritech Hovertank
When the original XVHT-1 entered into test trials in 2015, a second technology demonstrator was ordered. Where at first the Spartas used nothing slug throwing technology only to later be incrementally upgraded to energy-based weapons, the second model would explore the newer magnetic rail-gun for its weapon systems. Since a standardized model was more likely to get procured, the team decided to use the same chassis and parts as the Spartas. Though the new model, called the Kataphract, showed promise it was decided that the rail-gun technology was not mature enough and so was shelved. Near the end of 2025, new breakthroughs in the micronization of capital-scale rail-guns caused the Kataphract to be brought out of mothballs and testing began again. What resulted was a limited production model solely using magnetic rail-guns as a competitor model to the upgraded VHT-1A1.
Armor-wise, the VHT-2 uses the exact same low-mass composite laminar as the Spartas. The same ablative armor is used for the forearms and the arm shields, but has also been added to the chest glacis to give the Kataphract a decided advantage over the Spartas in Battloid mode. One of the requirements for the limited production of the Kataphract was that it had to have at least an 80% parts commonality with the Spartas so as to ease maintenance issues as well as allowing for simple conversion of existing units.
Transport Mode of the Kataphract conforms almost exactly to that of the Spartas. However, the main difference is that the driver sits in a fully enclosed station. Though there is a significant degradation of battlefield awareness, as the driver has to either rely on a video screen and audio pickups or a small periscope, it was felt this was a decent trade-off compared to the Spartas.
Gladiator Mode shows the greatest difference from the Spartas. The main guns in this mode are a quarter of the length of that of the 105mm smoothbore when fully extended. Two pairs of dual-barreled 55mm magnetic rail-cannons compromise the armament as it was felt they would be able to accomplish just as much while being able to carry more ammunition. Since the UEF had millions of rounds of old GU-11 rotary gun pod ammunition stored, recovering them by removing the propellant would be more economical. As a magnetically thrown penetrator did far more kinetic damage than that of a chemically driven one, there was an improvement in damage to enemy targets. Though it had less range than the beam version carried by the Spartas the energy requirement for these weapons gives the Kataphract a greater overall endurance. Also, unlike the Spartas, a lateral move or thruster assisted leap forwards/backwards by the Kataphract in Gladiator means both sets of cannon can fire.
Close Quarters Combat, or Battloid Mode, is where the Kataphract excels. Like its cousin, the main weapon in this mode is a carried gun pod. In this case, it’s a single-barreled carbine-sized 20mm rail-gun. Again, due to energy balance requirements, it was felt that a rail-gun would be more suited than the EU-11, though that can be substituted if necessary. Like the railguns later carried by the Alpha’s, the HRG-11 has a tubular magazine underneath that runs the length of the barrel. Naturally, the driver has the option of using both of the dual-barreled 55mm rail-cannons as well as the gunpod. Unlike the Spartas, there is no need to brace the mecha to fire them.
The Kataphract was never placed into general mass production. Several ATAC units received them and they were mostly placed in composite formations with Spartas and Myrmidon drivers. Some units preferred them while others tried their best to get the VHT-1A1 upgrade instead. Among the last schematics uploaded from Space Station Liberty along with the plans for the VA-8 Corsair III (aka Super Logan) and VFH-10 Ajax to Pioneer Command before the start of the 2nd Robotech War, a small production run was started for those ATAC Regiments serving across the galaxy. Consequently, the design engineers for the Alpha and the VM-9 Silverback studied the rail-gun technology of the Kataphract and used the advances made to develop the HRG-series of railguns. It is believed a few models fell into the hands of the Resistance during The Invid Occupation as well as the AUL producing a single knock-off model in low numbers for their High-Tech Bandits.
Statistics
Designation: VHT-2 (A- Officer, B - NCO, & C - Enlisted)
Crew: 1 driver
Weight: 26.2 tons (dry)
Power plant: MT 842 Fusion Reactor; 12 Protoculture cells provides the fusion reactor with enough generating power to last approximately 3 months under combat.
Air supply: In situations where the driver must stay for an extended period of time in Battloid mode, the Spartas has the equivalent of a 2 week air capacity due to recycling.
Cargo capacity: A small arms/stores locker is located in the mecha, allowing the driver to cache items that could be necessary on a mission. This usually includes: 2 weeks freeze-dried rations, 5 gal. water (kept cooled by refrigeration unit), 5 signal flares, waterproof matches, small high intensity flashlight, emergency blanket, 30m of cord, combat/survival knife as well as a Wolverine Assault Rifle, Weasel auto-pistol, 3 magazines for each and 6 Cobalt and/or Frag Grenades.
Ammunition Storage: The VHT-2 can store an additional 2 magazines for the 20mm HRG-11 rail-gun in the armored sleeve beside each of the dual-barreled rail-cannon assemblies. They can be accessed only in Battloid mode.
Black Market Value: If recovered for the Anti-Unification League, a Kataphractos is generally worth some 2 million Merchant Republic Credits intact and 500,000 damaged. Given the nature of the world economy, the AUL rarely pays in hard currency but instead in barter (weapons, ammunition, land etc).
Transport Mode
Height: 2m
Breadth: 2.7m
Length: 6m
Maximum land speed: 161kph
Jet Assisted Jumps: 20m high and long
Max sustained hover height: 2.3m
Gladiator Mode
Height: 4m
Breadth: 2.25m
Depth: 7.75m
Maximum land speed (leaping/hopping): 13kph
Maximum land speed (hovering): 70kph
Jet Assisted Jumps: 20m high and long
Battloid Mode
Height: 6.2m
Breadth: 4.4m
Depth: 2m
Maximum land speed: 90kph
Hover: 300kph at 10,000m
Jet Assisted Jumps: 75m high and long
Armament Loadout
2 x 55mm dual-barrel magnetic rail-cannons (Gladiator and Battloid modes)
1 x 20mm single-barrel magnetic railgun rifle (Transport and Battloid modes, rear protection in Gladiator)
Weapon Systems
1.) 55mm Dual-Barreled Magnetic Rail-Cannons (2): The main guns of the Kataphract these weapons utilize the same caliber penetrator round of the venerable GU-11 to devastate its intended target, only magnetically propelled this time. Capable of utilizing several of different types of munitions such as HEAP (High Explosive Armor Piercing), STAP (Saboted Tungsten Anti-Personnel) and PI (Plasma Incendiary). Unlike the older rotary gunpod, the magnetic rail-cannons can accelerate the rounds to such speed that fewer of them are needed to accomplish greater penetrating power. Thus, only a single round from each barrel is fired every time by the operator. Furthermore, because only the old penetrator section of the 55mm ammo is used, less space is consumed by storage and the mecha can carry a larger magazine. A total of 300 rounds are carried inside each of the armored shield housings.
2.) HRG-11 Kontus 20mm Magnetic Railgun Carbine: For Close Quarters Combat the Kataphract, like other Veritechs, carries a gun pod. In this case, its the 20mm HRG-11 short barreled railgun. It is capable of both semi-automatic and rapid fire burst (4 rounds fired) . While the Kataphract is in Transport mode, the cannon is stored in a scabbard mounted to the hood (it forms the rear skirt in Battloid mode), capable of elevating to 45 degrees. A single tubular magazine holds a total of 200 rounds.
Edit: For those that may wonder, I went back and rethought some on this mecha and decided to modify it. I figured the mysterious Spartas variant from This is Animation Special #10 and page 100 of The Masters Saga would be the best choice (though, if you look close, I removed the unexplained protrusion from the left-hand shield housing). I decided to base the gunpod on the Alpha gunpod seen in Artmic Design Works and Artmic Entertainment Bible #1.
