Lawmaster variant.

[Judge Shaw]

I just noticed in The Justice Department book lists the Lawmaster Qusar as a MKII. Should that not be the MKIV?

 

[havercake lad]

This might be contradicted by someone who knows more, but, are you referring to the Mark IV in the Stallone movie ? This vehicle is effectively the zipper bike as featured in early Dredd strips set on Lunar One and as used by the Flying Squad in the story set around Mickey Dolenz Block in MC1. Zippers are on page 73 of the core rulebook.
The Quasar bike is based on the bikes used in the Cursed Earth story set in 2100.These vehicles are referred to as 'new' in the strip so MkII seems a sensible enough hypothesis by the rule writer who has stated it up in the RPG.
There was a prototype new Judge cycle in a later strip which performed disasterously when field tested by Dredd, though I can't remember what name or mark it was given, if any.

 

[Judge Shaw]

"...but, are you referring to the Mark IV in the Stallone movie ? "

Not, really, no. I don't have the material in front of me at the moment, but I was referring to the Lawmaster in the game that is standard issue to Street Judges is the Lawmaster MKIII, and yet the Quasar Lawmaster MKII was stated as having "The main feature of the Mk II is the Hydra Laser Cannon, capable of rapid-fire with a faster recharge than its Cyclops predecessor*." Now, I maybe reading this wrong, but it sounds like the Quasar is an updated Lawmaster and should be either listed as a MKIV or at least a MKIIIa. Unless the Quasar is a separate vehicle type that shares the name Lawmaster, but that would be just confusing.

* Ok, I have the material in front of me. :wink:

 

[havercake lad]

I think the term Mark III Lawmaster is an RPG writer invention. Looking at the comic strip I don't think the basic street Lawmaster shown in 2099 has been superceeded, its basic design and the munitions certainly seem unchanged. (A few of the Bond style gimmicks on an early backpage feature never seem to have made the stories themselves).

The Hydra laser cannon you mention for the Quasar bike is also, I think, an RPG invention, I don't recollect it from any Dredd comic strip. The Quasar bikes seemed to be very similar to the basic model. I suspect the RPG writer was inspired by term 'Quasar' to decide to make an improved laser the focus.

Looking at the other sources of Quasar, it looks likely that Pat Mills (the writer of the original Cursed Earth comic strip) was actually wanting a sci-fi version of the real-life quasar bikes of the seventies. These were leg-forward, hard top models, which would seem a handy asset for rough terrain made worse for a cyclist due to bad weather and hails of rocks. Maybe the intend of the script got overlooked by the original artist (McMahon)?

 

[Judge Shaw]

Ok, so some type of continuity error in the RPG. If that is the case for my game I'll just call it the LM MKIIIa "Quasar" to keep it in line with the game info. Thanks for the background info.

 

[havercake lad]

Checking source material, a Judge Dredd Annual covering 2104 had a filler which showed blue prints of Mk I Lawwmaster.
A'Rough Sketch' of a Lawmaster Mk II was seemingly paperclipped to this.
ACccompanying text reads 'Growing population of Mega-City One will undoubtly require more efficent policing methiods and more refficent patrol equipment. A Mk II version of the Lawmaaster would fulfil the latter requirement with its addition of bike cannon fromt and rear firing:armoured undercarriage;and, for easier identifuication purposes, Justice Shield below the Eagle. Possible nickname of "Quasar"'

So precident for Marks given in rule book but

Rear firing cannons seem to have never been a feature used in the strip stories. Plus no Cyclops laser in this version !!

Mk I in diagram shown with just cyclops laser and holstered scattergun. Though Lawmasters before this artical clearly have both cannons and cyclops lasers in the strips.

The 'blueprint' feature seems to mirror a transition in the original Cursed Earth story where both bikes are drawn.

In pratice representations of the weapons and emblems varies from artist to artist. Decades later artists repeatedly use the Lawmaster version that resemble the Mark One drawn in the annual mentioned.