[hider=Morte Imperium] [hr][center][img]http://oi49.tinypic.com/28lsw11.jpg[/img] [color=9e0b0f][b][h1]Morte Imperium[/h1][/b][/color][/center][hr] [color=9e0b0f][h2][b][u]General Information[/u][/b][/h2][/color][color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Overview[/b][/h3][/color] [color=9e0b0f][b]Official Name:[/b][/color] Das Grösses Mortereich aller Todestern (Gothic), Imperium Magni Morte (archaic Mortean) [color=9e0b0f][b]Common Name:[/b][/color] Morte Imperium, Mortereich, Morte Empire [color=9e0b0f][b]Government:[/b][/color] Elected Centralized Totalitarian Monarchy [color=9e0b0f][b]Dominant Species:[/b][/color] Morte (100%) [color=9e0b0f][b]Capital:[/b][/color] Mortis, Toderstern System [color=9e0b0f][b]Systems Owned:[/b][/color] 7 [color=9e0b0f][b]Planets Owned:[/b][/color] 4 (rest are uninhabitable) [color=9e0b0f][b]Population:[/b][/color] 85,569,242,144 (according to last year's census) The Morte Imperium is the most dominant power within the isolated and deadly Stormlosweg Sector, controlling over 70% of it. Stormlosweg is a death world plagued by exotic radiation, antimatter winds and most of its once habitable planets were reduced to wastelands. Yet some of the most resilient civilizations managed to survive, including the Morte. Morteans are grim and pragmatic people whose entire history involved fighting with the environment while fending off other civilizations in their war for survival. They are isolated and extremely militaristic yet for over a century now they experience relative peace. As a result their population boomed and now they struggle with overpopulation to the extreme. In order to alleviate this the Empire intends to explore the stars outside the Stormlosweg Sector to find habitable planets for the Morte to expand. [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]History[/b][/h3][/color]Due to the chaos of the Kilonova Catastrophe there are no proper records of the Pre-Mortean years and even the early centuries have sparse sources. Some historians support that prior to the catastrophe their homeworld was called Lieberland and it seemed to be lush green planet with a prospering civilization. Everything changed when the Kilonova Catastrophe hit. About 1500 years ago a pair of white dwarves violently collided, producing a massive kilonova right in the center of what is now called the Stormlosweg Sector. The spike in common and exotic forms of radiation accompanied by neutron star fragment impacts changed the fate of this sector forever. [to be continued...] [color=9e0b0f][h2][b][u]Starmap Information[/u][/b][/h2][/color][color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Galactic Location[/b][/h3][/color] [hider=Map Location - Squished between the Empire, IUC and Coalition] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/356807940054843403/361722088588967966/Morte_map.png[/img] [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][b]Star Systems:[/b][/color] Toderstern, Bekrieger, Heissessen, Brennenweg, Schmelzer, Grossernicht, Saltzricht Green area signifies parts of the Stormlosweg Sector that aren't under Morte control. [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Major Holdings[/b][/h3][/color][img]https://i.imgur.com/SoCc2QI.jpg[/img] [hider=Mortis, Toderstern System (Capital World)] [img]http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120909193414/masstrek/images/thumb/d/da/Thalaron_wave_post-impact_of_Romulus..jpg/500px-Thalaron_wave_post-impact_of_Romulus..jpg[/img] Mortis is the 3rd planet of the Todestern system. Before the Kilonova Disaster it was used to be Lieberland, a lush green planet. That was until VR220 (Vor dem Reich 220 - 220 years before the Empire) when a neutron star fragment impacted with their star Leichtstern and changed the fate of the system forever. The gravity of the star suddenly increased, shifting the planet's orbit thus promoting it to the third planet while the star underwent its slow and ugly transformation into Todestern. The planet is now known as Mortis, an irradiated death world with only minimal habitability yet with the use of domes, underground structures and plenty of resources it's now transformed into a ecunomepolis capable of sustaining billions of people. It's the capital of the Morte Empire for over a thousand years yet living in Mortis for the majority is anything but ideal. Overcrowding is a constant issue.[/hider] [to be continued...] [color=9e0b0f][h2][b][u]Social Information[/u][/b][/h2][/color][color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Racial Overview[/b][/h3][/color][img]http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/97317/ChissMale.jpg[/img] Until just recently the Morte Imperium was an isolated civilization within the Stormlosweg Sector. As such it is unsurprising that the one and only sapient species within the Empire are the Morteans. Morteans are humanoid creatures with blueish skin, red eyes that might glow in the dark, sharp teeth and slightly pointed ears. They are at average shorter in stature (~ 160 cm) due to malnutrition but at times they can grow above 2m in height. Due to the effects of radiation they have an alarmingly high percentage of mutations which is sometimes very visible. Unlike humans the Mortean blood is colored cyan. Morteans have human-like body makeup but there are considerable differences in their chemical system. Mortean bones are made of various bio-steels, enhancing their durability and tolerance to radiation. Though the not so amazing side effect is that Morteans can get stuck to sufficiently strong magnets. Their sharp teeth are capable of chewing through many things and it isn't impossible for a Morteans to chew on rocks and ores (though not the most nutritious choice for sure). Mortean stomachs are versatile and work by different reactions and this generally applies to their entire system. Toxins that could be lethal to humans may be even considered nutrients. In reverse the Morteans have a number of harmful and deadly toxins specific to their physiology. Biologically the Morteans can live for 200 years but in effect the mutations and awful living conditions reduce the average life expectancy to 40 years. Due to their relatively well-adopted physiology to their environment there's a popular theory that the Morteans were actually engineered this way. Though due to the lack of documentation from the Dark Ages and beyond it's currently impossible to determine.Due to the effect of radiation, birth defects and mutations are relatively common and according to statistics 27.4% of the children die at (or before) birth. For every Mortean death is a common experience which swayed their society into an unique direction. Morteans neither fear death nor welcome it. They accept death as a natural element of their lives and strive to serve their community during the short time they're given. Morteans are utilitarians to the extreme, working precisely like cogs in well-oiled machine. In the eyes of others Morteans themselves do appear almost machine-like, having little in the way of personal goals and instead striving to complete their duties to the community as a whole. This unique mindset also makes Morteans numb to the feeling of loss other species experience. Morteans are capable of boundless cruelty without the slightest emotion behind. Compassion in its typical sense is almost completely foreign to them. On the other hand their higher orientation towards logic means Morteans always do things with reason. They have a clear view on risks and benefits which makes negotiations with Morteans surprisingly simple. [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Society[/b][/h3][/color]Mortean society is all about order and hierarchy. The lines of leadership are clearly defined and Morteans work together like cogs in a well-oiled machine. Questioning the authority of your superiors is unheard of and everyone is under constant supervision of their peers to act like a respectable Morte. On the other hand incompetence is not tolerated and subordinates can and will send in reports about any misdeed of their boss. Advancing through the leadership is possible but difficult and at times certain social groups could be outright class-like. Mortean citizens know and use money with their official currency being the Reichsmark. At the same time a lot of commodities are rationed which means each person only entitled to a limited amount during shortages. Thankfully many of these rations are leased during the hundred years of peace but people are aware these can be reinstated on a moment of notice. The official language of the Mortereich is the Gothic. This effectively splits into two distinct languages. High Gothic is a borderline forgotten language used for ceremonial purposes. It strangely resembles Latin from ancient human civilization but the connection is unlikely. Low Gothic is the common language of Mortean,tt resembles German. There are also 3 other major dialects and even more minority dialects within the population which can range from slight mutation to something that doesn't even sound like the same language. [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Government[/b][/h3][/color] The Mortean government is imperial, formed under necessity during the early centuries to fend off the Luxans and other crazy invaders. Initially it was a typical monarchic government with the rule of Karl von Metzel and his descendants. However this soon changed and for 800 years now the Kaiser is an elected title which currently only assumed for the length of 2 years. It's possible to get re-elected but no more than 4 times in a row (so a total of 10 years of rule). Since the title is elected technically anyone can become a Kaiser, provided they pass the rigorous selection method for candidates. There are a few days of promotion and campaign and then the candidates get voted on. There are no solid political parties, albeit siding with certain social groups may provide benefits at the election. After appointed as the Kaiser he or she has absolute power to do anything for the good of the Empire. Yet the Kaiser is tightly monitored and after 2 years pass he or she is thoroughly evaluated and potentially punished for any misconduct (sometimes even executed). The Empire also have ministers and other political leaders with their own powers and responsibilities. Their conditions are similar to that of the Kaiser but to a lesser extend. In Morte everyone watches the other and ready to report wrongs straight back to the authorities. This complex relation of hierarchy and keen supervision what defines Morte social structure the most. In terms of foreign politics since every new civilization they've encountered became hostile it's practically non-existent. That being said while the government is paranoiac they don't reject the idea of coexisting with other species, it was generally down to the other party. As such the first ever Mortean expedition outside the Stormlosweg sector is watched with great anticipation. [color=9e0b0f][h2][b][u]Technological Information[/u][/b][/h2][/color][color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Technology Overview[/b][/h3][/color] After experiencing their paradise rapidly turning into a radioactive hell the Morteans doubled their efforts toward technology. Their first priorities were shielded homes and developing means to grow food in their changed environment. Over the centuries as Mortean society transformed, their affinity towards technology grew further. Advanced medicine, gene engineering for special plants that grow in radioactive environments, robotics, self-improving computers and so on. The achievements of the Morteans were impressive, especially compared to its neighbors within the uncharted regions. On the other hand with no contact with other advanced civilizations, their scientific development could be overall be described as average or even below average compared to the better known factions in the galaxy. Development wise as being isolated within the Stormlosweg Sector the Mortean technology is of course somewhat unique. Just as Toderstern most stars turned into eccentric green stellar bodies producing winds of antimatter. This is the sector's curse but perhaps also its greatest boon as resourceful civilizations can gather metric tons of antimatter with relative ease. Indeed for the Morte antimatter is a rare and valuable resource used for almost every piece of technology. They are a simple and convenient medium for tasks that require compact and highly energetic sources of power. Aside from this Mortean experiences with exotic matter and easily accessible high energy source inspired them to advance their material sciences, although undoubtedly they also stole a lot of advanced from the Dorvec. Speaking of stealing the Mortean faster-than-light technology builds entirely on developments from other races. The warp drive was invented by the Karan'esh, centuries before Kilonova Catastrophe. The hyperdrive in particular was derived from the Luxan, whose drive was a biomechanical imitation of a looted ancient hyperdrive design appropriated during their raids. Being imitation of an imitation, Mortean hyperdrives have severe issues and until recently they had massive reliability problems which prevented their widespread use. [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Major Techs[/b][/h3][/color][hider=Power Technology] Morte Imperium is using every available natural source they could: solar collectors, geothermal plants, gravitational sheer dynamos, you name it. This constitutes the majority percentage of the power maintaining their infrastructure. That being said while the central power grid is important the war-experienced Morte have numerous backup means including hidden power cells, backup generators and even other alternatives. Cars, smaller machinery and home generators use [b]Plasma Engines[/b] (Plasmaslok). These are the distant relative of internal combustion engines with superheated plasma gases flowing through gravomagnetic fields in place of machinery. Plasma engines are safe and highly efficient, also extremely versatile. You could utilize any kind of fuel with them so long it provides sufficient heat as the system is intelligent enough to adjust. The most powerful plasma engines rely on fusion power provided by capsules of liquid hydrogen or similar fusion material enclosing antimatter and modulated by high-gravity chambers. When nuclear power is a must the Morte relies on [b]Atomic Reactors[/b] (Atomarkraftretter). Being experts of material and nuclear science the atomic reactor can identify and break down any common material to then use them as fuel for various nuclear fission and fusion reactions. A decent atomic reactor can use practically anything for fuel which makes them highly popular in space, especially for the industry and military. The generator turning the heat of the reactions into energy are modified plasma engines. [b]Antimatter Generators[/b] (Antistofskraftwerk) are an ancient technology nowadays rendered obsolete. It simply uses antimatter and mixes it with positive matter to gain energy. Large devices using pure antimatter are too resource demanding to operate thus they are no longer in use. Albeit research on them now allow the Morte to utilize antimatter in very compact means which forms the basis of most of their high-energy technologies. Power storage has many forms with two being the most common. [b]Mechanocells[/b] (Mechanozelle) are a family of technologies that use mechanical energy like spring tension at nano scale to store considerable amount of power. They are a bit heavy but their energy density is quite decent with very minimal energy loss and long lifetime. This makes them the most common way to transport energy. [b]Plasma Batteries[/b] (Plasmtreibzelle) are also common when one needs light and quick energy source, these use heat and electromagnetism to store energy and can also release it quite rapidly. In spite of relying on plasma they're safe albeit they aren't preferable for long term energy storage. [b]Antimatter Capacitors[/b] (Antistofskondensator) are far from a common power source as not many applications require their power density. They are most commonly encountered with military, research and specialized industry. They work by generating antimatter particles and storing them until it's needed. They are crude but effective but due to the conversion being inefficient (only 30-50% of the energy turns into antimatter) it's really only used when you need incredible amount of energy released in a quick, easy and compact way. [/hider] [hider=Propulsion][u]Planetary Transport[/u] Even in the world of reactors and starships the Morte seemingly relies on simple modes of transportation on the surface. Wheels and tracks are common even if the technology behind them advanced by miles. Driving axles are retained but almost optional as in the new age of gravomagnetics even the wheels are spun by fields. Wheels and tracks utilize superfluidics that increase their toughness and can flow to damaged portions to retain the same shape. Citizens of higher status or those who work in heavy duty jobs might be familiar with [b]Gravomagnetic Actuators[/b] (Gravitationsmagnetisch-Beteatiger). Hydraulics, linear motors and tension mechanics are overtaken by gravomagnetics that provide motion without any moving mechanics within. Gravomagnetic acutators are widespread and for example are an essential part of plasma engines. But when they're mentioned as propulsion it usually involves lifts, presses and powered exoskeletons. The latter are special work equipment allowing a squishy Morte to accomplish tasks normally impossible by their own strength. Heavy lifting, carrying large weights, operating equipment requiring more strength. The possible range of utility are huge. Lastly gravomagnetics can interact with the gravitational and magnetic field of the planet to achieve a hover like effect. These are the [b]Gravomagnetic Hovercrafts[/b] (Gravitationsmagnetisch-Heberkraftzeug). They are complex and usually not that efficient compared to other landcraft but they do have a certain niche. In addition since they don't need any part sticking out they are relatively easy to install to grant hover capability for almost anything. Hovercrafts are also used for certain air transports but most often the main propulsion for these are the [b]Plasma Turbines[/b] (Plasmastreibwerk), these utilize modified Plasma Engines fit for higher velocities and utilize mechanism akin to ancient jet, turbine and propeller engines. Plasma turbines for high-speed aerial propulsion are often called as Plasma Thruster while sometimes plasma turbines can have virtual propellers usually referred as [b]Variable Gravity Umbrella[/b] (Variabelschwerenkraftenschirm), usually to provide upwards lift albeit they are phased out in favor of hover technologies. [u]Space Propulsion[/u] Propulsion in space generally requires dramatically different methods than for planetary vehicles and this is also true for the Morte. [b]Plasma Rockets[/b] (Plasmantreib) have niche in other uses but they are mostly associated with space travel. They can be extremely compact but not so fuel efficient compared to others. They are mostly used in tiny vessels and for verniers and other minute maneuvering utilities. [b]Gravity Drive[/b] (Schwerenkrafttreib) is less of a propulsion and more of an extension after it's use for inertia dampening and other purposes. Regardless while inefficient it can be used as reactionless space propulsion and maneuvering assistance to ships without requiring any exhausts or other obvious systems built. Some space station chiefly on these. Antriesskraftzeug ([b]Impulse Drive[/b]) is a nebulous name describing a wide range of advanced propulsion systems utilizing virtual mass particles. Impulse drives are the dominant space propulsion for the Morte and can be found on many vehicles albeit their hazardous interaction with the atmosphere makes them discouraged in the atmosphere, thus any vehicle expected to operate near or at planets have plasma jet backups at their disposal. [u]Faster Than Light[/u] Warp Drives used by the Karan'esh Pirates was the first time Morte would know about the possibility of superluminal travel. After a century of struggle and gradual success they managed to imitate the mechanism, dubbing it Spatienkeilfaltertreibwerk or [b]Fold-Space Drive[/b], also referred just as Fold Drive or Falter. It warps space-time in order to effectively reduce the distance an object travels and achieve FTL while effectively moving slower than light. Warp/Fold travel happens in realspace and while the field pushes away lighter obstacles like space dust it requires precise calculations and decent astrogation to avoid accidents. It's effectively a standard travel method but the difficulties turned up to eleven. As such in general it's unadvised to travel at warp during combat, especially since it drains other systems like shields or weapons while in use. Around IR900 the Morte encountered a whole new kind of threat, slipspace drives. Used by the Lux their bioships could pop up anywhere in Morte space. The following centuries went with developing countermeasures and gradually reverse engineering the drive which they dubbed Fernreisers AKA Farcasters. Farcasters are still mostly in prototype stage and limited to specialized vessels or gate systems while Fold travel remains the mainstay FTL to the Morte for now. [hider=Comparison of FTL Methods] [b]Warp/Fold Drives:[/b] - Extremely slow (couple of lightyears per day at best) - Travels through realspace - Needs large enough space to maneuver and precise astrogation data - Has a windup time but can run almost constantly otherwise - Can be intercepted without requiring anti-FTL technology - Doesn't show on FTL warning sensors but does on standard sensors - Susceptible to FTL jammers but not to jammer missiles [b]Slipspace/Farcaster Drives:[/b] - Slow (dozens of lightyears per day) - Travels through slipspace (a lower band of subspace) - Requires precise and exotic slipspace calculations to work - Has a windup, starter cost, travel cost, requires large capacitors charged to work - Doesn't interact with physical objects or sensors and requires special FTL warning systems to be detected - Susceptible to both FTL Jammers and Jammer Missiles aimed through slipspace [b]Hyperspace Drives:[/b] - Has no Morte equivalent yet - Fast (can traverse the map in days, hundreds of lightyears per day) - Travels through hyperspace (higher band of subspace) - Hyperspace travel is complicated by the mass shadow of astral bodies - Requires precise hyperspace calculations and known hyperspace routes to work - Much more predictable than Slipspace Drives - Doesn't interact much with realspace and requires FTL warning systems to be sensed - Susceptible to both FTL Jammers and Jammer Missiles (latter only if launched into hyperspace) [/hider] [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Industry[/b][/h3][/color] TBA [color=9e0b0f][h2][b][u]Military Information[/u][/b][/h2][/color][color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Military Overview[/b][/h3][/color]With almost a thousand years of constant warfare with outside aggressors Morte became a militaristic nation where soldiering is part of every citizen's duty. Just prior to reaching adulthood all Morteans regardless of gender receive combat training and discipline. The best of the trainees are offered to become part of the Reichswehrmacht which, given the overall better living conditions of soldiers, is an offer not many refuses. Even after the training adult Morteans are obliged to periodically refresh their soldiering skills and accept to be drafted in a moment of notice. This kind of social structure aided Morte to eventually triumph over their technically superior enemy, very much drowning them in numbers. On the other hand having a hundred years without war the Morte civilization faces the greatest crisis since their foundation: Peace and prosperous growth. [hider=Military Tech Overview]Mortean military technology is mass-prouced and usually cheap. They want reliability and numbers above almost everything. As such while their technology is advanced they really only use them conservatively. For example while hover technology is mature tanks or other vehicles rarely use it as malfunctions or messing with hovercraft is considerably easier. Instead Morte makes use of advanced track and wheel propulsion systems. Similarly in favor of having more weapon systems for relatively low cost Mortean doctrines like to use manpower wherever it isn't a detriment. While many other civilizations would find means to keep soldiers away from dangerous missions the Morte side has volunteers and given their overpopulation issues there's no incentive to stop this. [color=9e0b0f][u][b]Notable Weapons[/b][/u][/color][hider=PASER][b]P[/b]atronen aus [b]A[/b]ntistof [b]s[/b]chützen mit [b]E[/b]lectrogravitischen[b]r[/b]ahmen (projectile made from antimatter covered with an electrogravitic frame) is a type of weaponmechanism unique to Morte. It utilizes nanograms of antimatter safely contained by gravomagnetic means until the impact where it explodes in contact with the target with the power of a small grenade, usually obliterating unarmored infantry and anyone near it. PASERs are quite destructive and require a comparatively simple mechanism to be fired. On the other hand the shot only has a few joules of kinetic energy thus easily stopped. This is especially problematic against shields or special material without electrons that will fail to trigger even the explosion. Due to the value of antimatter PASERs are rarely if ever used at any larger scale than infantry level. Due to weapon cells holding usually enough antimatter to hundreds or for automatic variants even thousands of shots they also found an alternative use as improvised explosives. [/hider][hider=GE-Rails]Gravoelectromagnetic Rails are a technology using both gravity and electromagnetic force to accelerate objects. Its utilization is versatile and not limited to just weaponry but the purpose is relatively the same, to propel an object. Railguns (Scheinegeschoss) are widespread from infantry rifles to cannons and even outfitted for starships. Most of the time railguns rely on hypervelocity impacts but certain variants only use it as a delivery method for shells. Other utilities of GE-Rails for example include the first stage in missile launchers or as catapults to launch starfighters. [/hider][hider=Plasma Explosives]A wide family of explosives that utilize high intensity radiation absorbed by some medium to deliver explosive force. The inventor being Morte this often involves antimatter albeit it isn't a clear requirement. A simple single-stage plasma explosive involves a weinol core embedded with antihelium surrounded by inert material composite embedded with microscopic durachrome impactors as shrapnel. This is effective enough but larger explosives tend to use double, triple or even more stage for even more efficiency. A typical double stage design involves antimatter reacting with fusion fuel and only then meeting the inert material matrix (IMM). Plasma explosives are very specific and barring a lucky shot reaching their microscopic core they won't detonate by accident. [/hider][hider=Mass Lance]Promptverdichtetsuperschwerentheilschenbeschleuniger (flash-compressed superheavy particle accelerator) is a family of devices with wide range of applications including research, specialized industry and of course military. Dubbed as Massenlanz (mass lance) it focuses large amounts of matter into a microscopic point for a stream at relativistic velocities. The process is energy demanding and unless used at large enough scale would require considerable time to prepare the next shot. On the other hand it has extremely good armor/barrier penetration for relatively low energy cost. If calibrated right when the lance penetrates armor it also explodes as the pressure forcing matter together vanishes which has nasty consequences to anything found within. Massenlanz is a popular weapon against armor and bunkers and of course found application on starships. The weakness of the weapon is that it loses penetration power rapidly with range, albeit at what range it's inefficient depends heavily on which type of weapon system we talk about. Massenlanzewerfer (Mass Lance Projector) - infantry portable variant used against hard targets. Massenlanzgeschütz (Mass Lance Gun or just Mass Gun) - gun version generally used by vehicles Massenfalterbeschleunigerlanzenwaffe (Mass Accelerator Lance, MAL) - main guns of starships Starship variants are considerably different from the rest even if they use the same basic principle. Among others they utilize fold-space technology to shoot their beams at superluminal velocities whenever the theater permits it. In addition as it turned out Mass Lances are more versatile than just mere anti-armor weapons. By calibrating the velocity or in case of MALs even the folds-pace corridor it's possible to set up patterns where the matter stream collapses into something akin to a directed explosive. Thus Mass Lances can also have a shotgun or shell like effect depending on how they're utilized. [/hider][hider=Mortean Missiles]Be it in space or on the surface Morte does make use of various missiles. Planetary use generally involves various plasma explosive based warheads but kinetic, chemical and Atomic warheads are all a possibility. Missiles used in starship combat are a bit different and often can be considered as disposable miniature spacecraft. There are two main families of them: missiles and torpedoes. Missiles come in light,medium and rare heavy categories with numerous variants each. They are usually medium to long range weapons but certain variants might even be designed for extreme distances. Missiles are compact, designed to be agile and attain their combat velocity over a short-medium distance as their priority. Torpedoes are launched from long accelerator systems to attain combat speed almost immediately. They're usually warhead-heavy and less maneuverable but this isn't a set rule. Torpedoes also have the ability of assisted Fold travel, using a Fold Catapult mechanism and Fold Sustainers to travel at superluminal speeds towards the target. Once getting near the torpedo cancels Fold and does terminal guidance under sublight speed. As such the use of Missiles and Torpedoes have very distinct doctrinal differences. Torpedoes are usually anti-ship weapons although variants for orbital bombardment are not unheard of. Missiles are mostly defensive or swarm tactics reliant. They are backup weapons and utilities for a ship. [hider=Common Warheads] - [b]Plasma Warhead:[/b] Plasma explosives are the cheap alternative to atomics albeit their increased propellant mass does make them attractive to specialized roles, too. - [b]Atomic Warhead:[/b] Compact nuclear devices commonly used for long range ordnance. They can use various types of fusion and fission alike depending on which design fits the purpose the best. The most popular type splits superdense radioactive metamaterials for massive power. Jagd variants are shaped charges concentrating nearly all the atomic might against the hull or shields of the enemy ship. Another variant is the Zerstörer "destroyer" which is an anti-material or orbital bombardment warhead. It involves unique mechanics allowing limited chain reaction as part of the environment is also converted into nuclear fuel, this explicitly doesn't work on exotic materials like starship hulls thus its role as bombardment device. - [b]Antimatter Warhead:[/b] While nuclear reactors can be catalyzed by antimatter this kind of warhead relies entirely on the pair annihilation of matter-antimatter for destructive effects. They are undoubtedly powerful but nowadays Morte considers them a waste of strategic materials since Atomic Warheads can reach yields close to the same level. As such pure antimatter warheads are rare though not completely unheard of within the Empire. - [b]Jaeger Warhead:[/b] By shaping the power of atomic reactions it's possible to unleash a relatively coherent "lance" of extreme velocity plasma to attack reinforced targets. This usually have a shortish range and generally discontinued for a few hundred years now. Jaeger-B usually just called "Jaeger" took its place as it unleashes a focused and coherent bomb-pumped laser beam at the target. Jaeger-B2 which has no connection to the original instead relies on capacitors and compact lasing device to achieve similar performance with the option of multiple shots and increased range. While weaker than the original Jaeger-B its advantages and the appearance of the Lanzer warheads prompt it to become the new mainstay Jaeger. - [b]Lanzer Warhead:[/b] Mass Lances are soon recognized to be also decent as missile payload. The common Lanzer uses compact mechanics akin to an overpowered Massenlanzgeschütz to unleash a single or a few lance strikes at distance, usually with considerably less range than Jaeger warheads. This is called Lanzer-A. B variant is a newer type made for smaller warheads. It's a defensive missile dispersing high velocity matter at a range, making it a good interceptor. Lazer-C is a relatively recent development which uses well placed smaller warheads to compress the matter to superdense state while launching it like a focused jet at the target. Basically the result is a bomb-pumped Mass Lance. It has less range than Lanzer-As but can pack a surprising punch. - [b]Kinetic Warhead:[/b] The simplest form of space missile, it's nothing but propulsion with a superdense penetrator core at the front. - [b]Multi-kinetic Warhead:[/b] Missiles that carry multiple kinetic penetrators and disperse them in well-calculated pattern prior to impact. Sometimes the sub-munitions also have guidance and limited propulsion to assist them finding targets. Other times the warhead is nothing but the void combat equivalent of a canister shot. - [b]Beehive Warhead:[/b] When canister shots are put to the logical extreme. Beehive Warheads are a deceivingly sophisticated weapon which uses countless micron-sized balls of superdense metamaterials precisely positioned by an gravomagnetic field emitted from the center of the device. The result is a deadly "wall" of trillions of relativistic micropellets usually spread 1-10 centimeter from each other spread in a circular area with dozens to hundreds of kilometers in diameter. Beehive warheads are excessively used for long range interception and they can be dangerous to anything not sufficiently protected. This usually means fighters and missiles. [/hider] [/hider] [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Space Forces[/b][/h3][/color][img]http://www.logh.net/minglogh/logh18c_s.jpg[/img] The Reichskriegsflotte (Imperial Fleet) is the Reichswehr's special branch dealing with starships and generally the region of space. Like for any interstellar civilization an absurd majority of their territory is space thus the Imperial Fleet has a prominent role of securing it. Since the Mortean triumph in Lux the Imperium haven't faced any existential threats and enjoys a relative peace. Of course there are always Karan'esh pirates, Dorvec remnants or rouge Luxan raiders to worry about yet at their current strength the navy is way prepared to deal with them. In order to reduce maintenance problems the PAX Accords were signed which currently limits the Mortean navy to 2500 warships, most of them being "Attack Frigates" a newly invented class for what is essentially fast traveling light cruisers. 2500 is the minimal count required for the Morte to secure their borders and that's only because the new faster ships permit them such low size. At the same time large amount of old starships are mothballed but preserved enough that they can return to battle upon any demand.[hider=Mortean Starcraft Classifications][u][b]Smallcraft[/b][/u] Tiny spacecraft generally limited in role and barring very specific exceptions incapable of FTL travel. Shuttles, starfighters or even tiny parasitic starships are all under this category. - [b]Pod:[/b] Tiny and short range craft, mostly know for the escape/landing pods although research vessels can also be pods. - [b]Shuttle:[/b] Short range spacecraft used for transport of either cargo or personnel. - [b]Starfighter:[/b]Small and agile spacecraft made for short range combat. - [b]Heavy Craft:[/b]Tiny starships with limited crew and specialized roles usually launched from carriers. [u][b]Escort Ships[/b][/u] Small starships outfitted with FTL but not fit for individual combat. As their name implies they usually support the warships. The divide between Heavy Craft and small Escort is thin and so is between large Escorts and small Warships. The difference is often decided on per case basis. - [b]Blockade Runner:[/b] The smallest type of escort to be equipped with a Fold Drive, mostly unused. - [b]Recon Ship:[/b] A vague category for small escorts fit with sensors. - [b]Gunboat:[/b] Basically a tiny warship about used for patrols. They are rarely part of a war fleet. - [b]Cutter:[/b] Speedy small escort ships on the lower end of the scale. - [b]Minesweeper:[/b] Specialist escort made for mine warfare and mine clearance. - [b]Patrol Ship:[/b] Catch-all term for small escort classes. - [b]Corvette:[/b] Medium-sized escort class. - [b]Monitor:[/b] Pocket warships of medium to large size sporting considerable power but little strategic range. - [b]Frigate Escort:[/b] Large escort made for speed and patrol. Frigates that are too small otherwise. - [b]Destroyer:[/b] Large escort type also usually specialized against a certain form of threat or to a style of warfare. - [b]Escort Carrier:[/b] Large escort specializing to carry strike craft but may lack facilities to maintain them. - [b]Assault Transport:[/b] Not strictly an escort but neither a warship. Carries and deploys troops. Can be even 900m long. - [b]Logistics Ship:[/b] Responsible for carrying supplies or capabilities to maintain vessels. They can be also tugs to carry away disabled vessels. Mining and hospital vessels also count under logistics. 40-600m long. Often made from scrapped escorts or warships. [u][b]Warships[/b][/u] Large starships fit for individual long range travel and combat. They usually start at the length of 150m and some grow over a kilometer in length. - [b]Frigate:[/b] The smallest class of warships usually known for their speed in sacrifice of protection and usually firepower.150-250m long in general but Attack Frigates can be 450m long. - [b]Cruiser:[/b] Mainline warship uniting speed, endurance, defense and firepower. 300-450m long. - [b]Battleships:[/b] Warships specialized to be heavy combatants. 350-600m long. - [b]Dreadnought:[/b] Superheavy class of ships made to breach defensive lines. 900-1500m long. - [b]Flagship:[/b] Dreadnought-sized vessels sacrificing some of their capabilities for command&control facilities and electronic warfare. - [b]Interdictor:[/b] Huge, usually 800-1000m long, vessels that sacrifice nearly everything to carry a mobile FTL jammer. In spite of their size they're rather vulnerable and desperately need escort. [u][b]Starbases[/b][/u] Effectively fortresses in space they are slow and not very mobile but can sport tough defenses and powerful weapons along with providing support, resupply and maintenance to fleets. Most Mortean star-bases have propulsion and even capable of FTL travel. [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][b]Smallcraft:[/b][/color][hider=Walküre-IV Fighter][img]https://i.imgur.com/zAex32L.jpg[/img] Mainstay starfighter of the Morte Imperium. Created with offensive capability in mind the fighter is almost completely made of engines and weapon systems. It has two modular swiveling arms which can support a launcher or weapon battery each. The weapon systems can rotate and swivel for more freedom to fire also the set-up has an important role when the fighter is put on carriers with limited space. The standard armaments of the Walküre-IV are a pair of weapon systems with oversized capacitors providing power to 4 Mass Lances total. Due to their size these have sufficient power to even penetrate ship hulls at the weak points and generally be a threat not just against fighters but even ships. Aside from that the arms can even support a heavy missile each with yield enough to match torpedoes although usually the deployment of ordinance is left to the Hummel-type craft. While fast and powerful the Walküre-IV isn't as agile of more interception specialized craft and its weapons are a bit on the heavy side to engage fighters with. In addition they obviously sacrificed protection and the weak structure and shields only enough to handle micrometeorites and distant blast effects would immediately fold against direct firepower. [/hider][hider=Hummel-VIII Heavy Support Craft][img]https://i.imgur.com/0Ecm9AD.jpg[/img] Large boxy 28 meters long weapon carrier craft with 4 modular bays that can sport various weapon systems including but not exclusive to railguns, mass lances, missile pods, heavy missiles (2 per bay) or heavy bombs (4 per bay). Bombs in particular are basically stripped down missiles using the velocity of the Hummel alone with only maneuvering engines for further guidance. They match heavy missiles in power but possess less range and mostly reserved for capital ship rushes. In case of them being deployed on planets they lack the aerodynamics or lift to efficiently operate in the atmosphere. Instead they dive down while deploying their munitions (usually stacks of many dozens of guided bombs or KKV munitions) then zoom back into space. [/hider][hider=Geist-XIX Recon Craft][img]https://i.imgur.com/4D8IzEz.jpg[/img] Vaguely based on the old Nagel-type starfighters the Geist is a stealthy recon craft used for scouting ahead and providing more accurate targeting data for ships. Using its encrypted hyper-radiation comms it can accurately and subtly beam data back straight for the designated ship thus leaving the chance for interception quite low. The Geist has a stealthy hull along with low-emission propulsion to be more difficult to detect along with minor electronic warfare suite and multiple "stealth field" like tricks, depending on the type of sensor the enemy uses. For defense they have a few 125mm light missiles and a mass lance in a flexible mount but it's not necessarily enough to fight back. Geist crafts have an elongated 21m shape and four of them stacked together roughly occupy the same space as 4 Walküres do. [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][b]Escorts:[/b][/color][hider=Mückenlaufer-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/ciCKfMj.jpg[/img] Classification: Cutter Role: Patrol and Close-In Defense Length: 60m Mass: ~ 7.5 kilotonnes Complement: 18 Armament: MAL-25 Mass Lances x4, Class-10 Lasers x 8, 90mm Light Missile Pod x 2 Speedy patrol craft equipped for the bare minimum of space warfare. As a transitional piece between Heavy Craft and Escorts a disgusting proportion of the ship is dedicated to the engines. [/hider][hider=Scharwehr-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/aPpyNhG.jpg[/img] Classification: Corvette Role: Defense and Interception Length: 72m Mass: ~ 16.9 kilotonnes Complement: 36 Carrying Capacity: Walküre Fighters x 4 Fixed Armament: 25mm Railguns x 4, Class-12 Lasers x 6 Weapon Modules: 4 Module Options: MAL-10 13-shot Pod, MAL-50 Defensive Mass Lance Pod, 125mm Missile Pod, 60mm HVM Pod, 425mm Medium Missile Pod Corvette exemplifying the general role of escort ships. It has four modular weapon systems that can be switched around for varying features. Each weapon option serves a different role and it's rare for ships to mix them. Mass Accelerator Lances provide long range flak and supression against light targets while missiles offer more versatile defense at the expense of endurance. As a defensive ship it's less focused on speed and even outfitted with more decent armor. In addition it has the ability to carry 4 fighters albeit without any capability to rearm or service them. Lastly the top portion is a detachable escape vessel in case the hull receives critical damage. Sharjagers are versatile and not exactly the rookie captain's ship. On the other hand their features are well-respected by experienced soldiers. [/hider][hider=Schwertjaeger-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/vb851WP.jpg[/img] Classification: Destroyer Role: Anti-Ship Warfare Length: 86m Mass: ~ 22.5 kilotonnes Complement: 48 Armament: MAL-40 Mass Lances x 4, 35mm Railgun Turrets x 2, Class-15 Lasers x 6, 125mm Missile Pods x 2 Compact escort vessel dedicating most of its space for a quad set-up of Mass Accelerator Lances to provide extra firepower at long range. Due to its lightness it's reasonably agile and at times even used as a general patrol ship. For this purpose it has reasonable amount of defensive armaments with all the layers expected for a Morte ship. [/hider][hider=Keiljaeger-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/D590QrK.jpg[/img] Class: Destroyer, Patrol Ship Role: General Escort Vessel Length: 102m Standard Mass: ~ 32.3 kilotonnes Complement: 152 After the Luxans' defeat the Morte enjoys a century of relative peace. The empire is revitalized while design philosophies shifted considerably. Focus went from easy and quick production to hulls with decent longevity and more efficiency. Keiljaeger is a late product of this era, literally meaning "wedge(-shaped) hunter" which is also the new curiosity of the Mortean Navy. Previous designs were boxy and focused firepower to the front, this put them at odds when it came to close combat and larger ships mounted a large number of secondary MAL batteries to compensate. The so-called "curved hull" instead opts for a more balanced setup with each main cannon having a wide area of coverage. This along with technological developments eliminating the advantages of the "light" mass lances meant the looks of the entire Mortean Fleet is transforming. Keiljaeger is supposed to represent this view with capabilities surpassing even old-type Frigates they are considered the next generation of escort vessels, just called Patrol Ships. They have mass lances, laser batteries, HVM slots, missile pods, torpedoes, minor hangar space and all this can be easily reconfigured at the nearest dock or large Logistics Ship. [/hider][hider=Rasanz-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/2lFVYMh.jpg[/img] Class: Escort Carrier Role: Fighter Transport Length: 110m Mass: ~ 18.9 kilotonnes Crew: 188 Capacity: 60 Fighters x2 (120 total, alternatively 10x2 Heavy Craft) [/hider][hider=Lazarus-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/SK6A34v.jpg[/img] Class: Assault Transport Length: 488m Mass: ~ 1.74 megatonnes Complement: 368 Armament: MAL-60 Defensive Mass Lance x6, Class-15 Lasers x54, 425mm Missile Pods x4, 125mm Missile Pods x12 Capacity: 100 Landing Pods Standard but not the only assault transport of the Morte. It carries a hundred landing pods filled with troops,vehicles and other special equipment for assaulting planets. For ease of maintenance of both machinery and err... human resources the contents of each pod are kept under a stasis field until they're needed. This way you can literally fill a box full of potentially over tens of thousands of soldiers. Albeit for some practical purposes a lower count is also utilized. Regardless the potential to deploy over a million troops makes the Lazarus-class the favored target of anti-orbital defenses thus require heavy escort. [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][b]Warships:[/b][/color][hider=Elbe-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/KGyiKhh.jpg[/img] Classification: Frigate Length: 172m Mass: ~ 93.8 kilotonnes Complement: 245 Armament: MAL-40 Mass Lances x6, 425mm Missile Pod, 125mm Missile Pods x 3, 50mm Railguns x 6, Class-20 Lasers x28 Speedy warships that are basically oversized escorts to make them fit for individual combat. They are unfit for frontline combat but neither they are supposed to. Has the limited hangar space for 20 fighters or 5 Heavy Craft albeit detailed maintenance/repair would require specialized logistics ships instead. Due to attrition no longer being a heavy concern they are phased to be eventually replaced by the new Attack Frigate designs. [/hider][hider=Tristan-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/lhJeYiH.jpg[/img] Class: Attack Frigate Length: 376m Complement: 720 Utilizing the new curved hull and compact impulse engine technology the Tristan-class Attack Frigates are effectively superior to the last generation cruisers in anything but armor. As explained for the Keiljaeger this shift happened due to both economical and doctrinal changes. [/hider][hider=Lübeck-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/rRJpEKG.jpg[/img] Class: Cruiser Length: 316m [/hider][hider=Tanhauser-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/4kKlhtn.jpg[/img] Class: Battleship Length: 498m [/hider][hider=Kvasir-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/M78ie4T.jpg[/img] Class: Battleship Length: 516m [/hider][hider=Grendel-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/vI9thzJ.jpg[/img] Class: Dreadnought Length: 1104m [/hider][hider=Sieglinde-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZhRZ2nw.jpg[/img] Class: Dreadnought/Flagship Length: 1288m [/hider][hider=Dolos-class][img]https://i.imgur.com/PbKKY2v.jpg[/img] Class: Carrier Length: 998m Capacity: ~ 2000 fighters [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][b]Starbases:[/b][/color] TBA [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Planetary Forces[/b][/h3][/color][img]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qNjhl1tIVTs/hqdefault.jpg[/img] Irdishstreitkrafte der Mortereich (Planetary Armed Forces of the Morte Imperium) is a virtual term describing three different military branches: Reichsheer (Imperial Army), Reichsgrenadierkrafte (Imperial Grenadier Force) and Volkswehr (People's Defense AKA Militia). Reichsheer is the main army of the Empire with exactly 2 billion troops (mandated by the PAX Accords from IR1121). This is their bare minimum and any loses are to be recovered within a week. As per the Morte attitude to recruitment, every Morte who passes the physical tests are considered "reserves" to the Heer thus in times of crisis this number can increase considerably. In the current "peacetime" days their purpose is defensive but they also form the numbers for every major invasion. Reichsgrenadierkrafte is effectively the "marines" of the Morte, they are elite highly mobile force constantly traveling aboard starships. They are the primary response of the Morte during peacetime and the spearhead of major assaults. Volkswehr is an institution rather than an outright military branch, used during crisis when the regular military isn't present or requires backup. By its nature the Volkswehr is poorly equipped if not forced to use improvised weapons but they can compensate with their sheer numbers and fanaticism. Morte ground combat doctrine focuses on massed infantry formations supported with a great deal of artillery. Morte likes fortifications and defensive combat as their wars frequently involved the other side as the primary aggressor. Armor is generally what each army division has asigned to them. It often provides fire supports but there are pure armored forces for breakthrough and maneuvering combat. Air force is a bit of a maligned child in Mortean warfare. Both Reichsheer and Reichsgrenadierkrafte has aerial detachments that can be linked with any division for support but usually their number is insufficient. This is often reinforced by space fighters from the Reichskriegsflotte but the different chain of command is a source of other issues. [color=9e0b0f][b]Infantry:[/b][/color][hider=Common Infantry Equipment] - [b]Antistof-Gewehr:[/b] Semi-automatic rifles using PASER mechanism,the most common kind of infantry weapon. Not recommended for hunting, though. - [b]Scheinen-Gewehr:[/b] Rifles using GE-Rail technology,their ownership by civilians is non-regulated (because no sane Morte shoots other for no reason) and for the army these provide an alternative where the PASER's features and drawbacks are detrimental. Scheinen-Gewehr are select-fire by default. - [b]Maschinegewehr[/b] - often bulky PASER weapons adjusted for rapid fire. [url=http://www.coolminiornot.com/pics/pics16/img53088a24dca2f.jpg]Leichtes Maschinegewher[/url] (LMG) are portable and can be operated by just one man. Usually there's an LMG user in every squad. - [b]Sturmgewehr[/b] - Assault rifle variant of PASER weapons introduced in IR409. They are increasingly more common as standard arms for Grenadiers. - [b]Scharfschützengewehr:[/b] When something more precise is required than the tuned up version of standard rifles these weapons come into play. They are usually GE-Rails but at times even available in PASER variants. - [b]Plasmgranate[/b] - Standard hand grenade filled with plasma explosive. Simple variants exists but unpopular. Nowadays instead they have a micro rocket engine along with a simple INS guidance to fly further thus keeping the ones throwing it safe while also drastically improving accuracy. For the same reason they are too expensive for standard infantry and are more commonly used by Grenadiers. - [b]Granatenwerfer:[/b] Specialist weapon that can be described as a mini artillery working like a grenade launcher to lob plasma explosives at ditance or against fortified targets. - [b]Raketenwerfer:[/b] Missile launcher, [url=http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/dkk/dkpftest1.jpg]usually fairly compact with a relatively oversized warhead[/url]. Missile launchers are versatile but overshadowed nowadays by the Mass Lances when it comes to defeating armored targets. - [b]Massenlanzewerfer:[/b] [url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/62/67/77/626777b17fe5cd6cafe56b42773f4fe3.jpg]Mass Lance Projector[/url]. Takes time to compress particles and its effectiveness inversely proportional to range but its power is undoubted. There's a more rare two-man heavy variant called [url=https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/resources/catalog/product/600x620/99550105286_DKOKMoleLauncher03.jpg]Grössesmassenlanzewerfer[/url], used at platoon level for mostly anti-fortification roles. [/hider] [hider=Volkskampfer][img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/79/1d/3f/791d3f24f7791c212231caf6597604f7.jpg[/img] Also just referred as Volkswehr, same as the military organization which covers them. They are militia of usually the most desperate kind, erected when either there's a local emergency and lack of manpower or the Morte potentially is running thin on soldiers. Volkswehr are civilians, people who semi-regularly undergo combat exercise but still civilians. In addition they rarely receive proper equipment, almost lucky to receive an old model of the PASER rifle. Their purpose is to fill out numbers and given their fantaticism mixed with desperation they fulfill this duty as expected. Thankfully it's been over a century since the Morte required the Volkswehr's services and they wish to keep it that way. [/hider][hider=Reichschütze][img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/e/e0/Krieg_Soldier.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/200?cb=20120727004210[/img] Also referred as Reichser. The typical Mortean infantry armed with PASER rifles and wearing durachrome helmet, fortified uniform and rebreather as standard. They don't wear armor in the strict sense but their uniform protects against mild fires, toxins, vacuum, radiation and can stop shrapnel from distance. Some suits are also coated in a bit of neutrozine allowing it to absorb one PASER hit to the same area. They usually operate in the squads of 10. [/hider][hider=Reichsjaeger][img]https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/e/e1/KriegGren.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20120630203907[/img] The Reichsheer's elite the Jaeger are usually formed of veterans who receive durachrome-plated and neutrozine layered armors as well as overall higher standard of equipment. While described as "elite" there are many millions of them regardless. Their number used to include soldiers who underwent special training after signing up to the Heer and they were supposed to lead assaults. Nowadays these people are funneled into the Reichsgrenadier instead to bolster its numbers further. They shouldn't be confused with the Jaegerschützen which is a title for designated marksman in certain units or even scouting light infantry of the Heer with unique training, albeit certain Jaeger units or individuals are obviously fulfilling the same role. [/hider][hider=Reichsgrenadeier][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ac/21/b1/ac21b11b805880af8e9ecf692fd26e54--warhammer-k-emperor.jpg[/img] Members of the Reichsgrenadierkrafte, a branch specializing on expeditionary missions and thus very commonly deployed from ships. There was a time when they were considered elite special forces or assault specialists hence their name, Grenadiers. Nowadays while they receive higher training they are mostly common infantry under a doctrine different from normal. They receive equipment of considerably higher quality than the Reichsheer including modern body armor with layers of durachrome/neutrozine hard panels, integrated comms, sensors and usually carrying select-fire assault PASER rifles. Their combat emphatizes assault, mobility and at times small unit tactics compared to the Heer. Unlike the Reichschützen they almost always have grenades, including special variants for anti-tank use. Reichsgrenadiers also have specialists called the Grenadierjaeger who are veteran and act as special forces. Grenadierjaegers can choose their equipment including special tools that aids them to accomplish their mission. [/hider][hider=Panzergrenadier][img]http://pa1.narvii.com/6051/3903d28df39f117aab1784d37ff6b7f2ee357bfb_hq.gif[/img] Heavily equipped troopers specializing for high risk missions like boarding or leading assaults. They wear heavier armor assisted by a powered exoskeleton underneath. Thanks to their increased strength Panzergrenadiers can carry heavy portable weapons with the same ease as a rifle. Weapons that are used on the squad or company level now can be equipped for each individual soldier. [/hider][hider=Reichsdragoner][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/356651882225205248/358961340372615168/Heavy_suit.jpg[/img] Special unit developed for the growing need of light and agile fire support that can also participate in the assaults along with the infantry. Dubbed as the Dragoners (Dragoons) they became the cavalry of the modern times. Imperial Dragoons wear a heavy power armor called Panzermotorisiertharnisch (Armored Powered Harness) which makes them into something akin to a light vehicle. The suit is about 2m tall, making them tower above the average soldier and its most remarkable feature is the solid egg-like armored shell encompassing both the head and torso. The suit is bulky and requires more than anti-personal level firepower to sufficiently threaten. In spite of that the gravomagnetic hover and plasma engine setup provides some well-deserved mobility for them in combat. The suit can be powered by plasma cells, plasma generator or occasionally an atomic reactor. It all depends on the weapon loadout as its chief consumer. The current model is called Drache-III and it has the latest advances in Mortean sensors and electronics along with new active protection systems. The Drache has sensors in redundancy and at all directions. Instead of moving his head the operator only needs the intention to turn his/her head and the system rotates the visual display accordingly, even to the center of their backs. Overall the Drache is considered the safest place for a Mortean soldier to be and with good reason. [/hider][hider=Infantry Support Weapons] The Reichswehr loves firepower to which end they reintroduced old infantry operated light weapon batteries in a whole new form. Infanterieverstarkerswaffe are special equipment too heavy for usually an infantryman to carry but not large enough to be vehicle mounted. These usually wheeled platforms are self-propelled and are designed to keep up with the infantry unit. In case of breakdown they are also light enough to be pushed by the troops themselves. On the first glance IVW seems like an outdated and backwards move but for the Morte who value manpower less than advanced machinery this is a fitting choice. [u]Common examples[/u] - [url=https://i.pinimg.com/236x/6e/61/ae/6e61ae20731d211e14d68017e9795a78--krieg-warhammer-k.jpg]Zwillingsmaschinegewehr[/url]: Twin PASER machinegun mount for company level covering fire. - [url=https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/3/3/192042-Autocannon%2C%20Death%20Korps%20of%20Krieg%2C%20Forge%20World.jpg]Infanteriemassenlanzgeschütz[/url]: Mass Lance utilizing cartridges to match the firepower of tanks. - [url=https://hobbyworld.com.ua/published/publicdata/HOBBYWOR/attachments/SC/products_pictures/DKLascannon3d_enl.jpg]Langesmassenlanzewerfer[/url]: Powerful long range Mass Lance Projector for ambushes. - [url=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tTPwCsxgK3M/VdvI2-abyHI/AAAAAAAAAWg/hT6sJO_Qp6s/s1600/DKK_mortarTeam01.jpg]Infanteriemörser[/url]: Minor artillery lobbing heavy shells for its size. - [b]Automatischgranatewerfer:[/b] Larger rapid-fire variant of the squad level grenade launchers with longer range. - [b]Selbstating Munitiontrager:[/b] Usually not a weapon but a versatile carrier using the same base to ferry munitions or carry heavy weapons in place of the troops. Not all infantry support weapons are mounted on a self-driving carriage, though. Heavy missile launchers used on company level for example tend to be carried by hand. Maschinegewehr also have portable variants as the twin mounts are only necessary when you require hours of sustained fire. [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][b]Ground Vehicles:[/b][/color] [hider=Panzerkampfwagen LVII "Löwe"][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/356651882225205248/358147717496569856/Morte_tank.jpg[/img] Mainline battle tank of the Morte Imperium. It was first fielded in IR506 after the Fifth Dorvec War. It's barely 5m long but due to its durachrome construction weighs approximately 120 metric tons. For perhaps this reason there's only accomodations for the crew of 3: driver, gunner and commander. As a tank with over 700 years of history the Löwe went through hundreds of refits, retrofits and complete overhauls yet the basic shape and features remained mostly the same. The current Jahre 1101 variant is a beast made for the intense battlefields of the 13rd Luxan War. It's armed with an advanced 128mm Plasma Cannon with its GE-Rail system capable of unleashing various matter and energy projectiles. It has two Massenlanzewerfer turrets on the side for additional close range firepower and the sponsons mount shortened ZaG-88 (Zwilligsautogewehr Modell-88) which pair a PASER machinegun with a small-caliber railgun each. It has the latest sensors especially edged for finding exotic lifeforms and deter underground ambushes. Many variants are installed with gravomagnetic hover system to escape toxic swamps and drive through difficult terrain as an emergency measure. The inertia dampeners are also tuned up to deal with not only shock from explosives and munitions but even the blunt force received from giant creatures. As shown in the picture the tank can be also outfitted with sensor-detonated explosively reactive jet buttons (the little bolt looking objects) to intercept heavy munitions or act as last resort against incoming masses. The current Löwe variant is equipped to drive through massive number of opponents and preferably survive. Since Morteans enjoy relative peace since the 13rd Luxan War they never had any reason to refit their tanks for any other purpose. [/hider][hider=Sturmgeschützwagen LVII "Feuergeist"][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/356651882225205248/358154461480484865/Morte_tank2.jpg[/img] Multi-role assault vehicle made as a specialized variant to the Löwe. It has somewhat reinforced front profile but more importantly it mounts a Massenlanzschweresgeschütz AKA the Heavy Mass Lance. While it undoubtedly provides firepower to defeat enemy vehicles its main role is to siege fortifications and generally provide close range fire support. This is the level of firepower where the versatility of Mass Lances show the most. Depending on how the projector field and the velocity of the stream is modulated it can:[List][*]Hunt superheavy vehicles [*]Penetrate multiple walls/barriers before exploding at a determined location [*]Detonate on impact akin to an artillery shell, both HE and HEAT can be reproduced [*]Detonate in the air, either omnidirectionally or at a certain frontal arc [*]Unleash an expanding cone of energy to decimate targets in a line [*]Unleash a low velocity attack akin to a superpowered shotgun in effect [/List] This is without actually manipulating the matter matrix or use ultratough microfilaments for some nasty patterns. The possibilities are practically limitless. As a relativistic direct fire weapon though the Mass Lance has a limited range on the ground and hence it's referred as an Assault Gun. Said weapon also have a limited traverse of around 110-135 degrees in a forward arc along with decent depression so these guns are particularly effective from mountains and other elevated points. Since they already require powerful inertia dampeners to withstand the stress of firing the Feuergeist has gravomagnetic hover assistance by default which helps a great deal for it to scale difficult terrain. Most vehicles also saw heavy use during the invasion of Lux thus they're equipped with the same AI-operated autogun sponsons as the Löwe. [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][b]Artillery:[/b][/color][hider=Wandernkampfzeug A101 "Zweörg"][img]http://pre03.deviantart.net/8986/th/pre/f/2014/278/b/f/mobile_artillery_by_dimensionaldrift-d81rjdw.jpg[/img] Self-propelled Mountain Artillery are present in the Morte arsenal for centuries and one of the most common application for legged propulsion. Zweörg was first fielded in the 12th Luxan War during IR1064 where the yet prototype system showed that it could outperform past designs and perform similarly to standard artillery even if with less overall firepower. Prior to this mountain artillery relied on their advantage in elevation to attain decent ranges but for the Zweörg it became optional as it achieve extra-atmospheric trajectory. The mechanism is highly compact and has the crew of two people: driver who also handles data link during stoppages and an artillery operator responsible for controlling the weapon. Zweörg is so compact the cannon is almost right next to the operators, making it one of the most uncomfortable artillery to crew. It also completely lacks self-defense weaponry, requiring other units to protect them. [/hider][hider=Panzerhaubitze CCXXII "Basilisk"][img]http://rocketshipgames.com/blogs/tjkopena/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/armabasilisk.jpg[/img] Standard Morte mobile artillery since its introduction during IR932. Like many of its predecessors it's based upon the Löwe's hull. For a long time there was a divide between static artillery large mobile artillery pieces and "medium" types that based on tank hulls. As technology progressed though this gradually evaporated and with the Basilisk now the Morte has a compact system that can match every other regular artillery. The main doctrine of using artillery is through firing shells at extra-atmospheric trajectory. Being almost in space the shell can ignore air resistance, travel great distances (hundreds to thousands of miles depending on many factors) and regain most of its velocity during the terminal phase. As such Mortean artillery mostly relies on the raw kinetic energy of the projectile. This is rarely done as a single solid projecile but rather the shell splits into various sub-munitions before the impact. This spreads out the damage without requiring explosives. Although there are still specialized duties where the usual plasma charge loaded warheads are preferable. Aside from these they can deliver various shells from chemical agents to micro mass lance canisters, chaff/smoke discharges to very rarely even nuclear devices. Obviously, artillery is used because the Morte hasa reason to not ruin the planet. Although in very specific situations your artillery might be needed to do extreme demolition. For any other purpose though such firepower is far more of a detriment than a benefit. Not even the death-insensitive Morte are crazy enough to use tactical nukes as their standard. [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][b]Aircraft:[/b][/color] TBA [/hider]