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Today’s article is brought to you courtesy of me putting Black Hawk Down on while packing for GamerNation Con 3. Everyone loves a good space helicopter, so without further ado here is the Imperial Patrol Transport.
Imperial Patrol Transport
While the Empire has replaced most of its legacy equipment from the days of the Republic, the venerable Imperial Patrol Transport still serves as an able workhorse. Based on the Coruscant Police Gunship, this airspeeder is lighter and more agile than the LAAT/i on which it is based, making it perfect for use in a wider variety of roles. The integrated solar panels greatly reduce the need for resupply, making the Imperial Patrol Transport a common site on Outer Rim garrisons. The superior handling and smaller size makes this transport ideal for urban terrain, and for use in roles such as utility transport, security patrol, convoy escort, command vehicle, and as a quick-reaction transport.
Silhouette 3; Speed 3; Handling +1; Def 0/-/-/0; Armor 2
Hull Trauma 10; System Strain 8
Vehicle Type/Model: Airspeeder/Imperial Patrol Transport
Maxium Altitude: 200 km
Sensor Range: Short
Crew: One pilot and one gunner
Encumbrance Capacity: 5
Passenger Capacity: 12 (standing in troop bay)
Price/Rarity: 50,000 credits (R)/5
Customization Hard Points: 1
Weapons: Forward ball-mounted light blaster cannons (Fire Arc Forward; Damage 4; Critical 4; Range [Close]; Linked 1), forward mounted concussion missile launchers (Fire Arc Forward; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range [Short]; Breach 4, Blast 4, Guided 3; Limited Ammo 6; Linked 1; Slow Firing 1), tail mounted laser cannon (Fire Arc Aft; Damage 4; Critical 4; Range [Close]), ventral mounted searchlight
Variant: Imperial Command Transport
By fitting enhanced communications equipment and tactical displays (see the Tactical Command, Control, and Communications Suite from Lead by Example pg. 59) the Empire is able to provide an agile craft suitable for tactical commanders. The communications suite is installed at the expense of passenger capacity, adding two positions to the crew (one commander and one comms operator) but reducing the passenger capacity to 6. The commander of an Imperial Command Transport upgrades the ability of all Mass Combat checks he makes once. Imperial Command Transports are usually escorted by two standard Imperial Patrol Transports. As the Imperial military relies heavily on a top-down command structure, the elimination of an opposing commander’s Imperial Command Transport during Mass Combat may warrant a Turning Point at the GM’s discretion.
Design Note: I have not used the Customization Hard Point, instead altering crew capacity, to keep it free for upgrades such as Nightshadow Coating or Whisperthrust Engines (Fly Casual pg. 63) on Storm Commando transports. Think black helicopters.
Suggested Usage: Quick Reaction Force
It’s happened to GMs everywhere, regardless of system. You thought you had balanced the encounter to give your PCs a solid challenge, but somehow they’ve mopped the floor with the opposition. Now you need a way to get more reinforcements to the adversary side, but want to maintain the immersion. Enter the Imperial Patrol Transport. Highly agile, moderately fast, and ready to disgorge an entire squad of fast-roping Imperial Stormtroopers.
Given warning of a Rebel threat, or as a part of an Imperial military operation, platoons of stormtroopers may be loaded in flights of Imperial Patrol Transports to serve as a Quick Reaction Force. This force is ready to deploy on call within minutes to reinforce any Imperial callsign in need. Once in position, the transports can use their relatively hefty armament to help neutralize the threat. They can deploy stormtroopers either by hovering close to a structure or by having the stormtroopers fast rope in, just like from an AT-AT.
This can have a direct impact on your game, providing you with a narratively appropriate way to up the threat to your players, or this flexibility can impact Mass Combat by providing a Boost Die if the situation or terrain makes this capability particularly effective. Battles fought where significant obstacles exist to ground troops, such as urban areas or valleys, would certainly count, as well as in situations where the opposing force has no counter to the air mobility these transports provide.
Christopher Hunt
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