Traveller - Sharushid Type 42 Fire Direction Centre

Sharushid Type 42b ACV/FDC

These second-line vehicles are converted from obsolescent Imperial TL 10 Type 41 APCs.

Miniature by Laserburn/15mm UK - bits from GZG and Grendel

Nicknamed “The Pig” (V. ishalap) by both Confederation and Vilani troops alike, the design dates from the Pacification Wars, and the Type 41 lags a tech level behind its Type 52 replacement.

Tens of thousands of Type 41’s have been manufactured. The Vilani deplore waste, and as a result many of the mothballed T-41’s were sent to the Frontier Legions.  Others were pressed into service as support vehicles.

In conformance with standard Imperial doctrine, the Type 41 was designed without weaponry or firing ports. Frontier Legion motor pools often modify the design by adding firing ports and support weapon mounts. It is known that some Gisadia line artillery batteries on extended active service will add anti-personnel mines to the exterior.  These mines are detonated remotely as a last-ditch defense measure.

The T-42c is the hover version, and coordinates the artillery battery fire missions. In Striker II terms, it acts as a Staff Satellite Uplink Stand for artillery units.

This vehicle was something of a lark for me, in that I can only foresee one or two scenarios where this miniature will appear, but I had the extra miniature and wanted to see it painted. It could also be used as a communications vehicle or as an objective.

The model is an old Laserburn Hover APC, soon to be available in resin from 15mm UK, with GZG and Grendel bits added. I'm only partially finished with painting it, but I wanted to get at least one post up for January...Ω