HMVS-17LG-ENG Bloodhound

Steve Hilberg

The success of the Hardhat and the other first-generation utility walkers during the colonization of Terra Nova and the choas of the Human Concordat's evacuation inspired a number of similar vehicles in the years following Earth's administration of the planet. Among the most successful and best-known was Elementech's Groundhog frame which was developed in 1648 TN.

However, there were other more specialized, less common Gears developed during the same period. Among these was the OM-0911A Bloodhound, produced by Olympus Mining and Manufacturing, a small industrial company based in several small towns along the Pacifica Range. The Bloodhound was built to be a search-and-rescue Gear for use by mining companies, used to rescue personnel trapped in collapsed mineshafts. However, it also proved to be invaluable to disaster relief agencies, locating and extricating trapped victims during earthquakes, fires, and in the far reaches of the North, avalanches.

The first Bloodhounds rolled off the OM&M production lines in 1669 TN; these first vehicles were earmarked for OM&M's own mining operations. By 1675 TN, most of the designs major problems, such as a faulty life support system, a fragile (although powerful for the time) sensor array, and clumsy controls, had been worked out and most were being sold to other mining concerns across the Badlands.

Unfortunately, competition from the less specialized but cheaper Groundhog and Prairie Dog cut off most of OM&M's new sales of the Bloodhound by 1715 TN, and Northco's aggressive predatory marketing managed to essentially kill OM&M's Gear production arm by 1725 TN. Desperate to salvage something out of the work put into the Bloodhound's development, OM&M sold the design to Northco's Elementech arm, who retooled many of the Gear's systems to use parts originally used for the Groundhog. The result was a design which combined the Groundhog's widely-available parts with the Bloodhound's specialized hardware, enabling the cost of production to be lowered somewhat (although the Gear is still different enough to make it a separate chassis in its own right).

Currently, Elementech produces a small number of these Gears every year. Most Bloodhounds are in the service of various Northern mining concerns, civil defense and disaster relief agencies. However, a good number can still be found in the Badlands, especially in the Pacifica Range, where remnants of OM&M's old mining operations once used the Gear in sizable numbers.

Production Type: Limited Production
            Cost: 48 450 marks
    Manufacturer: Elementech Consumer Products
             Use: Search and Rescue
    Default Size: 3
     Actual Size: 5
          Height: 4.2 meters
           Width: 2.8 meters
            Mass: 4357 kg
Deployment Range: 200 km

            Crew: 1
   Bonus Actions: 0
        Movement: Combat 3 (17.2 kph)
        Movement: Top 5 (30.1 kph)
        Maneuver: -1
           Armor: 8

         Sensors: +1/500 meters
    Fire Control: -2
  Communications: +1/2 km

      Lemon Dice: 2
    Threat Value: 40.38
             OTV: 42.83
             DTV: 43.48
             MTV: 34.82

Name                         Code      Arc     Ammunition Payload

Jackhammer                    SKG       F      50
3 x Demolition Charges        HHG       F      -
Chainsaw                      CS        F      -

Hostile Environment Protection: Desert
Limited Life Support
Fire Resistant
Geological Sensors
Double Towing Capacity
Loudspeakers (1)
Improved Off Road
Light Mining Equipment
Searchlight, 50 meter range
Tool Arm (5) x 2

Annoyance: Recycled air "smells funny"
Exposed AUX Systems
Exposed Movement System
Large Sensor Profile (2)
Sensor Dependent

Variants

Dalmatian

A retooling of the Bloodhound to perform daring extractions of victims from burning buildings, the Dalmatian is nearly impervious to the effects of heat, at least for short periods of time, and can make its way into even blazing infernos to rescue those trapped inside. This variant is used extensively in fire brigades in the Badlands, as well as some parts of the North, most notably the WFP.

"Dalmatian"                    Remove: HHGs
                               Add: MFL w/ 50 rounds of Fire-
                                       Fighting Foam, HEP:
                                       Extreme Heat
                               Change: None
                               TV: +2.67

Saint Bernard

A special variant of which almost every single one is in service in Pioneer or its environs, the Saint Bernard was one of OM&M's early successes. Unfortunately, the limited market dried up within only a few cycles, and this variant is rarely produced except to replace those lost via attrition. The Saint Bernard is most commonly used in Pioneer avalanche patrols, both in rescuing skiers trapped under snow or lost in the mountains and in detonating avalanche-prone areas before they happen on their own. Traditionally, the Saint Bernard pilots of the Pioneer search-and-rescue teams have been UMF Army veterans, and are reknowned for their bravery in rescuing those often written off as casualties by others.

"Saint Bernard"                Remove: None
                               Add: HEP: Extreme Cold
                               Change: None
                               TV: +1.33

Heavy Gear is © 2001, Dream Pod 9, Inc. All rights reserved. APAGear is not affiliated with Dream Pod 9 in any way. Submitted material remains the property of the creator.