DS2 design querIES - NPC (Native People's Circle)

Okay, finally got back to playing with the NPC/PHR/LLP/et. al., and was
working NPC DS2 organizations and vehicle designs plus Space force units
for NPC.

NPC (Native People's Circle are in love with GMS/H (as LLP like SLAM,
PHR
HVC, SAI DFFG, RRR HKP, and NEA their MDC's) and are big in to mounted
Infantry roles.  With most of their traditions coming from
resurrected/re-invented/fabricated NE/SE North American (Cherokee,
Creek,
Chickasaw, Choctaw, Iroquois, Algonquian, Apache,) Central American
(Aztec, Yaqui, Toltec, Mayan,) and selected non-plains South American
(really weak here) Native cultures they tended to avoid the 'cavalry
consciousness' mode.  Rather then circle the wagons, they went for the
"Infiltrate if you can, dismounted assault if you must" doctrine.  Many
local defense units are really Motorized Infantry who do their real work
dismounted.

Okay, this ties to the GMS/H (and GMS/L) issue this way:

Both the APC (Mech. Inf.) platforms mount one GMS/H plus the ubiquitous
PDS (only TD's and the smallest MICV don't have one); Armored Infantry
(a
form of heavy Mech using MICV's) have GMS/H plus turreted HEL/; the two
Armored Recon Designs use Fire Teams (FO) plus stealth plus GMS (H or L)
if they must fight; and the TD (with *four* GMS/H battery plus integral
FT on a size 4 frame) are pretty straight forward.  All of the above
carry 1 to 3 integral Fire Teams.  It's when I try and design a
'traditional' tank design that I run into problems because of the cheap
costing of GMS/H's.

For 'Tanks" I assumed they supplemented some form of Gun for GMS's in a
turret but retained the GMS/H launcher - what a can of worms.  Assume
you
don't want wasted capacity and you don't want Fire Teams integral to the
vehicle.  Also assume you can have any other system as a gun in the
Tank.
 I looked at all three levels of PDS, an LAD, plus one GMS/H launcher
(to
be doctrinally PC) and came up with two answers that met all criteria: 
A
Size 5 vehicle, with a size 5 main gun or a size 4 gun on a size 4
vehicle.

If you use an LAD (2 cap) and a GMS/H (4 cap) with the various PDS
(2,3,4
cap) you end up using 8,9, 10 cap total (based on PDS quality) leaving
12,11,10 cap for a size 4 vehicle with a basic PDS or 17, 16,15 a size 5
vehicle with a superior PDS.  Hence the Size 4 vehicle neatly carries a
size four gun with no left over cap and not carrying more then 4 weapons
and the same principles apply to the size 5 vehicle.

Okay, the gun should do one of three things the GMS/H doesn't - more
damage (5 chits are 5 chits so that's out) or more range (HEL 5/4 yes;
MDC 5/4 yes; HKP 5 yes) or better damage (DFFG/5 yes;  MDC/5 at/under
36"; HKP/5 and MDC/4 at/under 30") so it comes down to DFFG/5, MDC/5,
HKP/5, HEL/5, and MDC/4 - all but the last on a  size 5 frame.	I
initially looked at SLAM/5 since their closest ally is the LLP who uses
SLAM but I see no advantage for the NPC with SLAM's.

To complicate this I was looking at the NPC using an HMT (or even CFE)
power source although that's not set in stone.	Assume it is HMT for
now.

I see several options:

1) Don't build 'gun tanks' and let the TD's sub as tanks
(Doctrinally/politically easiest)
2) Build the Size 5 with an HKP/5 and minimal advantage for the gun
armament;  Ditto a size 4 with an MDC/4
3) Build the Size 5 with the DFFG for close in increased destruction 
4) Build the HEL/5 with FPG to take advantage of opposing armor choices
for the enemy *
5) Build a size 5 with FPG and take some range advantage plus close in
increased damage *

*The FPG track is less then optimal for the nation I am looking at...

Second question:

Would GRAV do less damage then GEV/Tracks to "Mother Earth" or not? 
This
might make FPG less onerous to the NPC design.

Gracias,
Glenn/Triphibious@juno.com
This is my Science Fiction Alter Ego E-mail address.
Historical - Warbeads@juno.com
Fantasy and 6mm - dwarf_warrior@juno.com

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