Gataekshin MBT

## Tactical Analysis

* **Look Back and Bring Along:** The Gataekshin is the Korean effort to create an indigenous main battle tank out of an imported Japanese design. Thanks to the Korean's modifications, the Gataekshin is capable of carrying a few infantrymen inside the hull.

* **A Simple Machine:** Despite decent armor and an effective main cannon, the fact is that the Gataekshin is only as effective as a Mastiff in battle.

* **We've Got A Loudspeaker Here:** Elite Gataekshin crews have found large speakers to attach to their tanks, giving them the ability to backup their fellows in the Penal Division with uplifting music.

## Background

Armored warfare has never been a strong point of the Empire of the Rising Sun. Despite the speed of their vehicles, their survivability has never been as well thought of. Still, through the decades leading up to World War II the Empire tried relentlessly to try and match Soviet engineering with their own designs, just in case. Though these designs were soon abandoned by the Empire in exchange for their doctrine of maneuver warfare, there were still stores of these tank designs left in warehouses and the Japanese boneyards. The Empire of Korea quickly became a dumping ground, and even after WWIII there were still hundreds of tanks left over to fill motor pools South of the 38th.

These leavings of war were soon met with the Penal Division, and the need for a tank capable of bringing armor support to the criminals and thieves doing the fighting. APCs were seen as non-essential given the expendable nature of the Division, but there still needed to be some way to get the prisoners to the front to make sure they could live long enough to be useful. There needed to be some way to use the resources available, not the least of which reasons was because there weren't enough resources available to build a new design.

Taking one of the "donated" Japanese designs, the Empire's techs decided that to increase a crew's chances at surviving they would switch around the front and back end of the tank. With the engine block now facing the enemy, it was hoped that crews would be able to live through a battle to take over a new tank. Unfortunately, the majority of professional tankers wanted nothing to do with the Penal Division and it's reputation.

Simultaneously, it was being found that many of the drafted vehicle crews wanted nothing to do with the war raging around them. They were content to lay about off-duty without performing maintenance until they were far behind the lines, to eat what fine foods they could scrounge and drink away their days to dull their service. Often these crews would make themselves look out of place on the front, leaving rust or damaged parts in place to try and convince their superiors that their tanks and crews desperately need rest and repair. To the Korean command, this needed to be rectified. Quickly commanders were ordered to review their forces to find any tank crews showing these traits. Many quickly snapped back into at least acting like proper soldiers when they needed to.

The crews that didn't were, unsurprisingly quickly shunted off into the Penal Divisions. Charged with acting as armored support for their fellow prisoners, the crews and commanders of the Gataekshin have surprisingly proven themselves adept at armored warfare and supporting the penal marines they carry into battle. They often have to be separated when the battle is over however, as their..."unique" personalities mean they often give strange impressions to all others.