Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

[BuShips]

First, I'll agree that the term "USMC Technical" is a bit of an oxymoron. But I just had to do it, being that I found this model a few weeks ago in a local Wal-Mart. It's a "Jesse James" 1/64 die-cast truck. Apparently it was modeled off of a real truck conversion for possibly the series "Monster Garage", but that episode didn't get aired. The package is labeled "West Coast Choppers", which is another business Jesse James has. I've only seen the odd episode, but it wasn't my "thing". At least in this scale it is, though :wink:. I figure if they were short of those fancy Shadow RST-Vs in 2015, and the Congress was "playing" around with the budget in that time too, the USMC would figure out a way to copy those very affordable MEA Toyota Hilux Technicals that they were seeing bounding about in the area. Basically, it's General Motors revenge for Toyota selling more vehicles than them "way back" in the first quarter of 2007 :lol:. I know that another game company owns the name "Car Wars", but maybe this near future in 2015 has a little "truck war" going on between GMC and Toyota. There's nothing like a little "competition" in the truck-selling business, you know. :wink:

Do any of the "old-timers" here remember a television series back in the 70's called "The Rat Patrol"? :wink:

 

[127th Angry Angels]

You could even have the fluff suggest that these US technicals have been provided to US friendly forces. The US has trained and supplied them to some extent, not trusting these "Freedom fighters" with tanks but supporting them, sort of like the Iraqi army i guess. It is a good find.

 

[cordas]

Nice, When you talk about moving and shooting does this mean it can do both as the same action? Or does it move for 1 action in a turn and shoot the other, but count as moving as 1 action in the turn was movement.

I would also suggest limiting the numbers firing to the MG and 3 others (not the other MG as firing it from a moving vehicle whilst trying to hold on will be extremely difficult if not impossible). Afterall with the MEA technical it carries 8, not 9, and if its carrying troops its MG can't be fired.

 

[katadder]

how do you fit 9 guys in full combat gear into that? i would think you could probably get 4 in the front (including driver) and maybe 2 in the back? 4 if they hang on tight and all stand or something but no room for someone firing thats for sure.

 

[cordas]

How do you fit 8 into a MEA technical.... its probably a bit smaller than the GMC truck....

In my experience most pickup trucks can take half a dozen people easily in the back, fitting in 8 in combat gear and with weapons should be possible but it will be a tight fit. I would imagine that with the driver and coms gear and all the rest in the cab you will at most be able to put 1 extra guy in there....

 

[Hiromoon]

Well, if we think about this... They're Marines. You order them to pile into one truck, they will pile into one truck by any means at their disposal. If that means you have marines sitting on the roof and hood of the vehicle, so be it.

 

[Mr Evil]

look at your technicals and the modern evidence
the guy manning the gun sits down in the foot well in the pickup bit while the riders sit 3 perside around him maybe 1-3 standing up occasionaly to fire a few shots. lucky this is a crew cab so 3 can fit in their and another upfront next to driver, so in effect the mea technical could carry 10 men not including the driver and gunner. so 8 probably presumes the gunner dismounts and heads for the passenger seat or somthing. and one less in rear cab cuz they all with to wear a seat belt.

 

[Paladin]

The cleared mud in the wiper blade spots is excellent attention to detail. I salute you sir.

 

[Shadow4ce]

The cleared mud in the wiper blade spots is excellent attention to detail. I salute you sir.

Beat me to it! Seriously, nice job on this conversion!!! 8)

Will you paint my Ospreys for me? :lol:

 

[BuShips]

Nice, When you talk about moving and shooting does this mean it can do both as the same action? Or does it move for 1 action in a turn and shoot the other, but count as moving as 1 action in the turn was movement.

I would also suggest limiting the numbers firing to the MG and 3 others (not the other MG as firing it from a moving vehicle whilst trying to hold on will be extremely difficult if not impossible). Afterall with the MEA technical it carries 8, not 9, and if its carrying troops its MG can't be fired.

Cordas, I quoted you, but I'll probably toss all of my current thoughts here as well. I need to tweak the text a bit, but the intent is to operate it just like an MEA Technical. I probably need to change the word moving to mounted, but I was trying to separate a free-firing SAW from a mounted one. The vehicle either moves or shoots, as per the rules normally.

As far as capacity, I would assume that this vehicle is large enough to carry nine equipped troops (it is a Monster truck you know :wink. There is another consideration as an argument for the transport capacity as well to think about. While the MEA Technical states that it can carry eight models, it is really carrying nine, if you include the permanent PKM MG Gunner model :idea:. Those reading this will notice that I deleted the attached Gunner model from the USMC Technical stats. That, along with the larger truck frame should allow those nine to squeeze in, and like Hiromoon says, an order is an order :lol:. As far as the extra SAW Gunner firing out of the vehicle goes, the MEA Technical doesn't limit the kind of carried weapons that can fire, just that they do so at a -1 penalty to their Damage dice. I would claim that he is not in the cab, but is tactically placed in the back as one of the five in the truck bed.

I visualised four models in the cab area and five in the rear. It probably helps that the mounted Gunner is leaning a bit forward over the cab top. So basically, it operates just like the MEA Technical, but I booted the attached model out to make room for a full USMC infantry Squad . Value-wise, that should drop the points a bit. I figured if I could gain an extra model for transport and one of the SAW Gunners could fix his gun temporarily as a replacement MG Gunner then it was worth the paying the same 50 points.

 

[BuShips]

OK, here is a tweaked version of the USMC Technical. I decided to give the mounted SAW the same -1 penalty to Damage dice that the other weapons firing from the vehicle have, but unlike the MEA Technical it can still fire with models being carried on the Technical. It becomes a meshing of readied, prone firing with suppression along with vehicular restrictions on firing weapons and some of the features that a permanent MG would have. What it does not have is a full 360-degree arc, but instead is limited to forward-only fire. The player has the choice to mount the Gunner or not to.

One question I have about the MEA Technical after studying the model is what is the actual and clear rule for the PKM MG firing arc? I would assume 360 degrees since nothing is written, but I can see a problem swinging that gun around to face the rear arc. If the gun tripod was stated as being centrally-mounted in the truck bed I could see a full 360-arc, but not the way it is on the model. From the model I'd maybe give the MG forward and side arcs, but without anything written I'd have to assume it has a full circle of fire.

 

[byram]

hers some articles on Gun Trucks:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/gun-trucks.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_truck
http://www.almc.army.mil/alog/issues/JulAug03/gun_trucks.htm

my buddies i asked said they used 5 tons trucks as gun trucks in the sandbox (iraq).

 

[BuShips]

hers some articles on Gun Trucks:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/gun-trucks.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_truck
http://www.almc.army.mil/alog/issues/JulAug03/gun_trucks.htm

my buddies i asked said they used 5 tons trucks as gun trucks in the sandbox (iraq).

Great sites. Good 'ol American ingenuity :wink:.

 

[The Old Soldier]

BuShips, I'd like to add the MEA Tech is really carrying 10, a dedicated driver, plus the gunner, along with up to 8 more models!! Six would have been a better choice in my opinion.

Your right! I thought the Tech only had a front arc, but there is nothing stated about it. A can not fire to the rear arc would be more inline I think.

If I were to make changes to the Tech the change would read:

1.The Technical may carry up to 6 size 1 models.
2. No model may fire from the Technical ect. the PKM MG gunner.
3. PKM gunner may not fire to the Technicals rear arc.

Note the changes would allow the PKM gunner to fire while the vehicle is loaded. I wouldn't allow transported models to fire because, try loading 5 persons in the back of a short bed pickup, then ask them to try to fire on anything while moving. Not to mention trying to fire a LAW or other man pack missile from the bed of the truck without the backblast burning your mates.

 

[BuShips]

Yeah TOS, it does have that dedicated driver, indeed. Since my Technical doesn't have a dedicated Gunner, it also would seem to carry 10 (including the driver). This would make the rig good for retrieval purposes, as it could run around empty and offer itself up for taxi duties (although without any armament, as it needs the Squad to provide that). Since the chassis is larger than the Hilux is, that can be said as the reason why the more-encumbered USMC troops can fit. If you didn't care about retrieval purposes, you'd have yet another seat open for more room and comfort. :wink: When I picked up the models a few weeks back, I was initially going to use them as "super-technicals" for the MEA. However the other day I heard that Toyota had for the very first time surpassed GMC in World-wide vehicle sales so I decided to give the trucks to the U.S. Marines. "Car Wars", indeed. :lol: Maybe I'll paint "Hilux Hunter" on one of them. :wink: