the Mauler MBT

Designed as a complete replacement for GI Joe's old MOBATs, the Mauler (Manned Battle Tank) is equipped with all manner of advanced electronics hardware, not to mention being heavier and faster at the same time. The Mauler MBT has the following features:

Handling   RV 20
Velocity   RV 20
Durability RV 50
Protection RV 40

Anti-Personnel Charges: scattered about the Mauler are several shaped charges rigged to explode should someone be foolish enough to try and hop on. If enemy personnel set these off, they will suffer rank value 30 Slashing damage - at point blank range!

Armored Hull: the Mauler's 57 ton frame is built from a 60 layer, titanium alloy / micro-mesh bonded hull. Giving it considerable durability, this construction provides the Mauler the listed Durability and Protection traits above, making it extremely difficult to defeat in battle.

Armored Side-Skirts: these steel plates offer the treads of the Mauler the vehicle's base Protection; however, they don't totally shield the things from enemy fire, so a called shot will hit them normally (they do, however, have a material value of 30 all by themselves).

Communications Array: the Mauler is equipped with a gigahertz frequency, frequency wobbler clandestine operations radio system, allowing for constant team communications. This makes for rank value 10 comm power (25 mile range), with rank value 30 signal encryption.

Gear Cases: the Mauler has, spread about it, various cases filled with useful gear. It has a fully stocked first aid kit, tool kit, and a small case for its pilots' arms and ammo, should the Mauler get disabled and its occupants have to fight it out directly.

MXZ-105 mm Earthquake Cannon: the Mauler's sole weapon, this martial terror allows its gunner to inflict staggering damage to the opposition. It fires high explosive shells that will inflict rank value 50 Piercing (fragmentary) damage to anything it hits, carrying 75 shells per load.

Optical Targeting System: the mammoth MXZ-105 mm Earthquake cannon is assisted by a powerful target acquisition system. This holographic system gives the tank gunner a 3-D view of his or her target and environs, allowing them a +1 RS to hit with the Earthquake cannon.

Smoke Dispensers: the Mauler is equipped with special smoke emitters that cause it and the area it occupies to be filled with an obscuring white smoke. This acts to defeat optical enemy targeting systems (or simple human opponents) with rank value 10 ability.

* 1989 VARIATIONS *

the Equalizer

Stripping a Mauler's turret off for use in their Lynx, Slaughter's Marauders installed an enormous missile launcher system where its turret was previously mounted. The resulting vehicle, the Equalizer, has these additional features and characteristics:

Dual-Pulsing Machine Guns: mounted on the Equalizer's launcher, these twinned anti-lock machine guns can be fired in a short burst to inflict rank value 20 Piercing damage, or rank value 30 Piercing damage in a full auto spread, adding +1 RS if both are fired in tandem.

Early Warning Suite: the Equalizer replaces the Mauler's old optical targeting system with an early-warning suite, one that utilizes radar, sonic receptors, and infra-red detectors. These serve to warn the Equalizer's operators of incoming danger with rank value 20 ability.

Surface to Air Missile Launcher: the Equalizer is armed with a large bank of missiles which it can launch at airborne targets. They inflict the listed damage when fired singly, adding +1 RS for two, +2 RS for four, or +3 RS for all six. They have these characteristics:

Handling   RV 20
Velocity   RV 10
Durability RV 20
Damage     RV 30 Slashing (fragmentary)

Note: Components of the Mauler were actually used in two separate vehicles in 1989: the Equalizer (body) and the Lynx (cannon).