![]() ![]() That it's fixed forward reduces its utility somewhat- it sure would be nice to be able to throw a few warheads behind you as you flee that Panther- but being a scout car, you shouldn't really be getting in a fight anyway- more on the utility of this later. Welcome to the Pack Rat- we found one! Yeah, it doesn't sound like much, but with good speed and surprisingly tough protection comes an awfully handy SRM-6 in a forward mounting (amusingly mounted on the rear end of the vehicle, but faced forward). It's the rare unit that can pull all three. Sometimes you can double down on one, the way the Uller does on guns. Our usual rule, speed, armor, firepower, pick two. Try that with a Wasp! (WARNING: The author does not actually advise dealing with a Manticore using a Wasp, unless you owe the Mechwarrior money.) And it's worth noting that the Pack Rat has that on the rear- which means it can safely run away from problems and survive an encounter with something unexpected like a Panther or Manticore and potentially escape. Even in the modern era, a Gauss slug won't break the armor- a rarity on a scout vehicle. With no turret, the Pack Rat has a simple and even sixteen points on each location, plenty enough to withstand all but an AC-20 blast to any location. Four tons of armor is pretty hefty protection for a 20 ton unit. So that's a pretty rare and big investment on a scout. And yet the Pack Rat has one- fascinating to see this. A fusion engine in this era is a rarity on a vehicle, even on a powerful tank- we see vehicles like the Von Luckner even getting stripped for their engines. That means it can basically pace a Locust in the urban jungle- no small feat in its day. Where most scout cars would have an ICE engine, we find the Pack Rat has a fusion motor! The 20 ton craft has a 120-rated engine pushing it to a 7/11 movement curve, and of course being wheeled that means it gains a bonus on pavement- something to remember during 3025-era objective raids on factories and the like. We start by sawing open the engine compartment and finding a surprise. But, hey, it's not all bad news- in fact, there's some really neat tricks to find on this when you go looking. So, an important unit that lacks the tools to do its job- uh oh. So these rarely are seen by players as a good unit to use- but as an in-universe thing, Pack Rats and their various permutations are just the thing for jobs like urban scouting, artillery spotting, riot duty, and all the other things that are vitally important to a military force, but not really something the game does well in that era. Thing is, as a scout car in 3025-era play, the Pack Rat just doesn't have a lot going for it compared to a bug Mech or something along those lines. ![]() So, let's delve in and see an old classic that rarely makes an appearance at gaming tables. Not THIS author, prior to a few test runs over the past few days. how many of you have honestly used Pack Rats? Seriously, don't give me "I have, I don't know what's wrong with the rest of you.", I mean, genuinely, how many people have used them? Not many. Because this is one of those units that everyone knows about- I mean, who isn't familiar with the ol' Pack Rat? And yet. The weirdest of all moderators, the master of all that inhabits the depths of space, the man known as Zug, has asked that we cover this old scout car, and you know what? I'm glad he did. ![]()
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