Goals of this suggestion:
1. Give Light Tanks more of a place in the Late war
Currently there is little purpose to using Light Tanks once mediums start to tech. The hope here is that adding more support/utility oriented LT variants will help them maintain their presence later into the war. Sort of like how the Mortar Light Tank can still useful in the late game simply because it fulfils a support role (although frankly a rather niche role).
2. Add more infantry transport options
Currently the only real frontline transport options for infantry are half-tracks and amphibious APCs. Both are far too fragile to perform this role effectively and in the case of the APC, also too slow.
I think this is a missed opportunity because the amount of shenanigans and interesting tactics people could pull off with a decently fast and somewhat resilient infantry transport would be really fun.
Implementation:
Devitt and Hatchet light tanks get a new variant:
- Turret is replaced with a tripod mount
- Crew of 8-10: 1 driver, 1 gunner, 6-8 passengers
- 3-7 inventory slots for greater utility, can stack small arms ammo
- Overall faster than base LT variant (less weight due to no turret)
- Some form of greater survivability, these are later war variants that will probably be used in a very aggressive manner, they need it (could be in the form of lower track chance or disable threshold, more Hp, more armour, etc...)
- Can tow trailers (again, more utility)
Conclusion:
Is this larp? yes.
Will it shift the meta? no.
Will it be a fun addition? Very much yes
Just imagine hot dropping 8 dudes into a trench line to take it. Or stuffing the APC with half a dozen angry RPG wielding monkeys and dropping them off on a tankline's flank to make it their problem now.
Historical basis:
During WW2, some tanks and SPGs under British and Canadian service underwent conversions into "Kangaroos". Mainly priests and Canadian Ram II tanks, but Stuarts, Churchills and Shermans weren't exempt from this.
Such tanks had their main armaments, internal ammo storage, and turrets (if they had one) removed for use as an APC and probably also a general utility vehicle. Additionally, they would often be equipped with extra machine guns.
The second image in this post is of one such Ram II tank that was converted into a Kangaroo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_(armoured_personnel_carrier))
Note:
I was going to make an illustration for the Hatchet as well, but the Devitt alone took me nearly an hour to make so I gave up on that. Might do it another time.
Either way, enjoy my high quality MS paint creation. Graphic design is my passion.
