RE: [ds] BB's HBT (was: RE: SG2 vs DS2 vs FT)

Ok, I read the critiques, and took them into consideration, and while
they 
may have some effect on my design, I'm not sure how much. Let me give
you 
the rationale:

As someone has postulated, the culture, economy, and politics of the
power 
using the vehicle will have as much to do with the strategy and tactics 
behind it as the need to "Just Win, Baby." So let me propose for you the

power owning this vehicle I designed:

In my game world, the country I represent is Cascadia (for sentimental 
reasons).  Cascadia is made up of most of British Columbia, Washington, 
Oregon, and Northern California.  While the terrain is in most parts of
this 
"Nation" made up of mountains and forests, it's borders are another
story, 
especiall it's hostile ones. To the south, it faces the Bear Republic
across 
the Northern stretches of the San Joaquin valley, as well as in the
Sierras 
and the coastal ranges.  To the east, it faces Deseret across a high
desert 
terrain, sometimes flat, sometimes mountainous. So in terms of the type
of 
capabilities it's vehicles must display, the range is quite varied.

The economy of Cascadia is built on hi-tech (Microsoft and Intel, and
other 
spinoffs), as well as the transportation industry (think Boeing, 
Kenworth, 
etc., also excellent sources of future aircraft, spacecraft, and AFV's),
and 
international banking/business (Vancouver/Victoria have in this world
become 
the new Hong Kong). So the nation is rich in industry, natural
resources, 
and agriculture, but low on one important thing: People

Therefore, Cascadia has no choice but to rely on a high-tech, low-mass 
military.

Combining these two main driving forces behind Cascadian Defense
Strategy, 
they've come up with small numbers of several different types of units: 
(Please remember, the titles of the units are borrowed from modern 
terminology, their definitions will vary some)

Cascadian Armed Forces:

Armor:
Units designated as "Armor" units lean towards heavy and main battle
tanks, 
mostly fast tracked. The Boeing M-191G Mass Driver Cannon (read: MDC 5)
is 
the favored weapon, because of it's versatility (greater damage curve
than a 
comparable laser, greater range than a DFFG). The CAF can replace tanks
more 
easily than crews, so survivability and defensive systems are highly
valued. 
Most Battalion Combat Teams are anchored by 1-2 HBT Platoons, and 2-3
MBT 
Platoons.

Mechanized Infantry:

Mech. Inf. form the backbone of the CAF's Infantry corps. CAF APC's are 
well-armed, but their armament is not designed to take on MBT's, since
they 
seldom operate without the presence of Armor units. The DFFG 2 is the
main 
weapon, because it can provide devastating anti-infatry fire at range,
and 
because it is an effective close-in anti-armor weapon if needed for
defense. 
(Read: Class 3, 2 infantry elements, 1 DFFG 2)

Armored Cavalry:

The AC is the elite ground element of the CAF. Using Anti-Grav vehicles,
it 
is used for Recon, fast attack, harrassment, flanking manouvers, and
rapid 
response when nothing else can get their fast. CAF AC units are even
trained 
in blue water tactics (In the War for Northern California, CAF AC units 
actually left Coos Bay, Oregon, and travelled oversea to hit the Bear 
Republic's forces from the rear near Eureka, California). Because they
often 
operate as smaller units on their own, AC units are more integrated that
the 
Armor or Mech. Inf. The basic unit is the lance (Forgive me), consisting
of 
4-6 vehicles. These can be tanks, support, or MICV's. several lances
form a 
squadron, and several squadrons form a troop. because they rely on
hit-and 
run tactics, AC tanks tend to be smaller and less robust than the
treaded 
Armor units, but still pack tremendous firepower.  CAF AC grav MICV's
are, 
surprisingly, bigger and more well-armed than those of the mech inf. In 
addition, the infantry units they carry, all organic to the AC, are
powered 
armor troopers, as opposed to the line troops of the Mech inf.

Artillery:

The CAF leans towards a twofold strategy - Heavy artillery offboard,
medium 
onboard. They use almost no light artillery, feeling that two or three
big 
batteries are more effective.

Air cav:

The CAF uses the term Air Cav to refer to it's attack choppers.

Airmobile Infantry.

Due to it's mountainous terrain, the CAF maintains a considerable (for
it's 
size)AI force, and even it's Mech Inf troops are given rudimentary 
helicopter-borne training as part of basic infantry school.

There's also a well trained intel coprs, combat engineer/sapper coprs,
etc, 
but these give you some idea of the philosophy I'm developing. I may
change 
my main design, or I may keep the monster as is and use fewer of it
backed 
by a few more slightly smaller units.

Brian B(ilderback)
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