Chariot Tank

**Key Features** |  » 140 mm Rheinmetall L/45 smoothbore gun » Rear Exit Door » Interior seating » x2 13.2mm Hotchkiss Machine Guns » Infantry Compartment Phone (Weird voice filter)

## Tactical Analysis

* **I'm dead 'ard**: The Medeka is a true main battle tank. Chariot crews are well-protected from small arms and light cannon fire while they lay waste to enemy vehicles. Chariot Tanks offer a fine balance of power and speed for a low cost, now that the Allies have streamlined their production.
* **Soddin' lil runts!**: The Chariot however must necessarily fear the combat prowess of dedicated anti-tank units such as infantry, tank destroyers, and aircraft which can trade highly effectively with them, and cannot be expected to carry a battle on their own.
* **Oi lads! Get in 'ere!**: The Chariot has an advantage however, being able to carry a squad of infantry wherever it goes and thus carry its own infantry escort to deal with occupied structures, infantry and tank destroyers in hiding, or give a bit of anti-air punch depending on the infantry inside. They of course need to disembark to fire, but this allows the speed of a mechanised advance to be uncompromised.
* **I'll cut 'em nice and proppa**: A new line of gun was recently commissioned for the Chariot , fitting a new and more powerful 140mm kinetic kill gun which utilises vacuum technology to increase the speed and penetration power of its shells and the explosive punch of its demolition munitions. Though coming at the slight cost of rate of fire, the shattering impact of the new gun makes the afflicted target more vulnerable to most forms of infantry munitions. Field testing has been underway since the last stretch of the third world war, with Ace crews having priority for retrofits.

## Background

In a lonely corner of the sprawling Royal Ordnance Factory sits Building 19, a large gray monolith whose only notable feature is a pair of oversized hangar-style doors emblazoned with the building's number. Perhaps it is fitting that the backbone of the Alliance armoured corps, the so-called Chariot Infantry Battle Tank, would be built in such an austere setting to roll out of it and other factories; both conventional and battlefield based. The Chariot Tank is truly a utilitarian weapon built to adapt well to unpredictable battlefield conditions and provide a chariot for the infantry legions of the Peacemakers.

The Chariot's outward appearance is unmistakably British. The blocky hard-angled chassis, the aggressive exposed treads, a leering angular turret are reminiscent of earlier Alliance battle tanks. However, the front mounted engine and the peculiar rear placed exit door set it apart from its predecessors. The Chariot's heavy armour plating protects its crew from all but the heaviest concussive impacts. At the same time, its standard 130mm autoloading cannon is a proven anti-vehicle weapon, offering excellent rates of fire and lower chances of ammunition accidents. One might also notice that it is a rather long vehicle, with the vehicle being notably longer than its contemporaries and just a bit wider too. The front of the vehicle is devoted solely to its engine, while the middle is given over to the crew and its ammunition, the spacious rear compartment however has a quite novel purpose.

When moving the engine to the front to allow it to serve as additional protection for the crew in case of penetration, it was found that the rear of the vehicle was now so much dead space. Rather than reduce the size of the vehicle however, the rear compartment was moderately enlarged and given seating space to make use of the rear escape ramp fitted onto the vehicle as a means to save the lives of crew members. What had started out as a simple accident of design quickly grew into an idea to merge the armoured personnel carrier and main battle tank concepts for the alliance and allow its tank corps to carry its own infantry forces and reduce the need for non-tank units within armoured and mechanised formations. The announcement greatly pleased Executive Thornley, who personally welcomed the tank as the newest main battle tank for the British Army and the Peacemaker corps.

Even with such an advanced weapon system, the Merdenka's image is not nearly as glamorized as that of other Alliance weapon systems, such as its larger sibling the Gotterdammerung. Regardless, the workers in Building 19 take great pride in their creations. They must realize that the Chariot Tank represents the core of SAllied military strength, and their calm determination and commitment shows in the final product, for which every Chariot crew is thankful. So say the official sources, which have made no comments on accusations that some Chariot crews have increasingly shown thug-like, callous behavior in the field, perhaps as a result of wielding such a powerful device on the frontlines of their Empire's many battlefields.

### Post War Operational History

Though a popular and successful vehicle, the Chariot suffered heavy losses throughout the war. Produced and destroyed in vast numbers, it is said that more than ten thousand destroyed Chariots litter the Silesian Lowlands after a series of colossal tank battles in the last months of the war. Despite best efforts to keep production up, the Chariot currently is not present in enough numbers to meet Alliance wide demand (WIP)