AP-100 Stoneman

The **AP-100 Stoneman** was an early Power Armour developed by the UEDF as it worked to uncover the secrets of Robotechnology.

## Background

Many of the weapons developed at the dawn of the Robotech era have fallen into obscurity, such as the Slepnir tank and Mistral jet fighter. These vehicles amounted to little more than existing platforms combined with new weapons, and offered suffered from shortcomings and compromises to their performance. Many of them were quickly rendered obsolete, and did not survive the First Robotech War. However, there were those exceptions that, one way or another, managed to lead surprisingly long lives well after many of their contemporaries or even successors.

The AP-100 Stoneman was one such case. Another early effort at combining Robotechnology with existing Earth weapons systems, it was developed alongside the RK-720 Cestus with the aim of creating a viable bipedal walker weapons platform. However, the limitations of the technology available at the time meant that, like the Cestus, it was developed as an armoured battlesuit rather than a true humanoid weapons platform.

Both designs were developed in parallel, but ended up having very little in common. Whereas the Cestus was created with the intent of developing an airborne platform from the outset, the Stoneman was intended to be a pure infantry weapons system. This design decision was as much about practicality as it was expediency, with the Stoneman being seen as a back up design should the Cestus' more ambitious flight systems fail. Far from being a second-rate design, however, the Stoneman would prove to be viable in its own right.

Even though its weapons systems were not yet complete, the UEDF ordered the Stoneman into production alongside the Cestus rather than lose time waiting for the Destroid program to mature. The suit was issued to a number of newly-raised infantry units who were purpose trained and equipped with the new design from the outset. These units saw action against the Anti-Unification League in a number of conflicts where the Stoneman proved to be a very successful platform against enemy personnel and light armour, even allowing for its limited weapons systems. While it was initially deployed alongside conventional designs, it would later see use along with early Walkers like the Daniel and Hood.

However, the maturing of Walker technology and the development of the Destroids spelled the end for the Stoneman. With the UEDF having the giant walking battle robots that they had sought, the Stoneman and many of its contemporaries were now considered obsolete. The projected war scenarios involving the Zentraedi had little use for infantry, armoured or otherwise. As such development of the design was halted despite its successes in the field. This included the proposed weapons systems, which ranged from hand-held rifles and cannons to back-mounted missile launchers. Those Stonemans in service would be retained for the moment with the intent to retire them once enough Destroids became available.

This was not the end for the design by any means. The planned mass retirement never happened due to shifting priorities after the start of the First Robotech War. As a result, a good number of Stonemans survived the Rain of Death, and were utilised by those groups that emerged in its wake. While considered to be obsolete, with the devastation of the Earth and the disruption of human society at all levels, few could afford to be choosy about what weapons they used. The Stoneman found a second life during this period where it was pressed into service with emergent powers, warlords, bandits and even Zentraedi Malcontents. Miniaturised Zentraedi who had previously been Power Armour pilots found that they quickly adapted to the design due to the similar operating principles.

While well outclassed by other human and Zentraedi mecha, this second life proved to be a boon for the design. Clones of the Stoneman were produced by the Mercantile Republic and other powers, and were sold to non-UEG states across the globe that did not otherwise have access to Robotechnology designs. One way or another, many of these would find their way into the hands of third parties and other groups, with the reborn AUL being one of the most notable examples. The design saw considerable action in the regional clashes between non-UEG powers during the 2020s, and, while rare, it was not unheard of for Stonemans to be fighting on both sides of a conflict.

Most existing Stonemans were destroyed during the Invid Invasion. Many of those that survived found their way into resistance groups, and were used in guerrilla attacks against Invid forces, as well as their allies, during the occupation. While the Stoneman was effective against the Invid Soldier and even Scout, it was hopelessly outclassed by anything larger. However, a suit that had been long considered obsolete was still better than nothing for many groups who were in no position to be choosy about what weapons they used.

## Capabilities

Freed from the weight and aerodynamic restrictions imposed by needed by the Cestus' engines and wings, the design team were able to create a suit that would focus more on protection and resilience. While smaller than the Cestus, the Stoneman featured thicker armour than its counterpart. Its limbs proved to be considerably more resistant to damage. However, the Stoneman was still limited by needing to have the pilot's legs inside the suits to provide mobility, which presented something of a vulnerability. Like the Cestus, the Stoneman was powered by an early Protoculture engine.

The cockpit of the Stoneman was fully enclosed, with vision provided through a series of cameras and other sensors built into the dome on top of the pilot's canopy. The cockpit was fully pressurised and provided full NBC protection, but had only a limited air supply. Primary detection was provided by a short-range radar with both air and surface tracking modes. This was supported by secondary systems including infra-red and thermal optics, as well as a laser designator for use both with the Stoneman' own missiles and for designating targets. The original communications fit was a short-ranged battlefield radio, however surviving Stoneman suits (and their clones) underwent communications overhauls during their lives resulting in a variety of different systems being employed.

Early mobility testing of the Stoneman proved to be disappointing. While it was far faster than a human on foot, it still was comparatively slow and clumsy, ironically due to its thick limbs. Its large size meant that it couldn't use existing IFVs for transport and deployment, but yet it was too slow to keep up with them in the field. As a compromise, the designers equipped the Stoneman with a set of boosters on its back. While it couldn't fly like the Cestus, it was capable of making long-ranged jumps that not only increased its overall speed, but gave it a degree of mobility unmatched by any conventional ground vehicle.

The Stoneman's armour was made from a combination of conventional materials and advanced technologies derived from the SDF-1. The armour is immune to small arms fire, and provides fair to good protection against heavy infantry weapons (such as a 12.7mm machine gun round) and moderate protection against heavier weapons (such as a Zentraedi 22.3mm autocannon round).

## Weapons and Equipment

* **32mm Autocannon:** The Stoneman's main weapon was a 32mm autocannon mounted on the right arm, firing the same type of ammunition as used by the UEDF's Spartan Destroid and Comanchero attack helicopter. The weapon was fully automatic, and fed from an internal magazine. While limited in its firepower, the cannon was the heaviest weapon that the Stoneman could carry.

* **Mini-Missile Launcher:** The Stoneman was equipped with a pair of two-shot **Venom** Mini-Missile launchers mounted on either side of the chest. These weapons gave it some anti-armour capabilities.

## Game Statistics

* **Required Rank:** 1

* **Designation:** AP-100

* **Stats**
	+ **Armour – Light:** 6
	+ **Structure – (type):** 6
	+ **Resist**: 1
	+ **Hardware Points**: Basic
	+ **Speed** – **Running:** 50 kph / 80m / 8 Ground Units
	+ **Speed** – **Jumping:** 75 kph / 120m / 12 Ground Units

### Weapons

* **32mm Autocannon:** The Stoneman's main weapon is an autocannon attached to the right arm. While comparatively underpowered, it also was light enough to avoid weighing the suit down and restricting its mobility. The weapon has a Range of Medium, but can fire further. It deals x3 Light damage and ignores 3 points of Armour. [E][H][P3]

* **Mini-Missiles:** The Stoneman mounts two pairs of mini-missiles in the torso for use against surface armoured targets. This weapon can only be used through an equipment suite. [H]

* **Punch:** The Stoneman's hands can be used as a weapon. They inflict Light-Class damage and ignore 1 point of the target's Armour. [M][P1]

### Features

* **Indexing Hands:** The Stoneman has fully functional hands built into the suit. They have a sensitivity of .1 kg

* **Forearm Shields:** The Stoneman's large forearms can be used to block incoming attacks, albeit at the cost of losing the limb. Each arm can be sacrificed to stop all damage from one Light-Class attack. Doing such also destroys any weapons in the limb. [H][H]

* **Atmosphere Only:** The Stoneman can only be used in an Earth-like atmosphere.

### Equipment Suites

* **Mini-Missiles:** The Stoneman mounts two pairs of mini-missiles in the torso for use against surface armoured targets. They can be used up to Medium range and inflict Mecha-scale damage. [B3]
	+ **Uses:** 2
	+ **Skill:** 3