Here’s were I’m going with this: I see no way that a PA unit like the PA-06A SAMAS is useful in a city environment were most of your criminals are SDC humans (or D-Bees). There are a few things I know about the CS:
1.) They aren’t going to slaughter there own people with mega-damage weaponry for many reasons. I’d think even a hardened criminal guilty of murder, or something wouldn’t be gunned down by cops right then and there (maybe, but not always)
2.) There is no way there are going to tear through their own fortress cities with rail guns and mini missiles, to catch some bad guys.
3.) Collatoral damage that most MD weapons cause.
This being said, I believe the CS uses somewhat non-lethal means of subduing suspects, and dissidents. Now I’m not going to go into the list of weapons that I have that are non-lethal, but I am going to present you with one thing…
Non-Lethal SAMAS Power Armor
I didn't want to put out every detail of the old SAm here. Full details on the PA-06A are on WB11: CWC pp. 113-114.
The basic design to use a SAMAS as riot deterrent has been with the CS for over 20 years, but it has seen a revamp in the last five years. With the CS military using newly designed power armor, the ISS has inherited thousands upon thousands of old style SAMs. A number of these have been refitted and used a crowd control/ police power armor unit.
The basic design of the old SAM remains unchanged except for a gun turret mounted over the right shoulder. The Turret replaces to C-40, and it’s cumbersome ammo drum, making the Riot SAMAS lighter and more versatile in city environment. The gun turret currently has two different designs: a rubber baton turret, and an experimental web/net firing cannon. In addition most Riot SAMAS have been issued the old C-14 Firebreather as a main weapon. This gives the unit an MD weapon to use and also the grenade launcher can be used with tear gas, flash bang, and smoke grenades for crowd control. The mini missile launcher on the left arm can also fire smoke, and fire retardant missiles.
The idea is that the use of the old SAM inside a fortress city would be harmful to both the infrastructure and the civilian population, has prompted the refitting of thousands of these power armor units.
Nickname: Riot SAMAS, or Riot Ranger SAM
Model Type: PA-06NL
Class: Strategic Armor Military Assault Suit
Crew: One
M.D.C. by Location:
Shoulder Wings (2) — 50 each
Main Rear Jets (2) — 60 each
Lower Maneuvering Jets (2; small) — 25 each
Forearm Mini-Missile Launcher (1; left) — 50
NEW - Shoulder gun turret - 50 for the baton turret, 65 for the web cannon
Hands (2) — 25 each
Arms (2) — 50 each
Legs (2) — 100 each
Head — 70
Main Body — 250
Speed: Unchanged.
Flying Range: Unchanged.
Underwater Capabilities: Unchanged.
Statistical Data
Height: 8 feet (2.4 m)
Width: Wings down, 3.5 feet (1.06 m)
Wings extended, 10 feet (3 m)
Length: 4 feet, 6 inches (1.4 m)
Weight: 340 lbs (153 kg) without rail gun. Unchanged, however the PA-06NL dosn't use a rail gun, and instead uses a lighter weapon system, making the overall weight less.
Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. 30
Cargo: None
Power System: Nuclear, average SAMAS energy life is 20 years.
Black Market Cost: 1.8 million credits for a new, undamaged, fully powered suit with new and experimental non-lethal weapons package. Rarely available.
Weapon Systems
1. C-14 Fire Breather Rifle. The grenade portion of this rifle is used for tear gas, and smoke. The C-14 is the standard issue for the PA-06NL. Just like the PA-06A SAMAS, the C-14 has been stockpiled and replaced. Weapons now enjoy a home with the ISS. Its versatility can be used for both lethal and non-lethal force. Some ISS units are issued the CP-50 Dragonfire. See WB11: Coalition War Campaign pp. 89-97 for the C-14, CP-50 and other weapons used by the CS.
2. (Optional) CNL-440 Baton gun. A automatic rifle that fires rubber batons to subdue dissidents, or for crowd control. The idea is for the weapon to cause pain (in an effort to get the subject to surrender), but not do any actual harm. The design came from a collaborative effort with the New German Republic who uses such weapons in some of its riot control designs.
Primary Purpose: Non-Lethal capture
Secondary Purpose: Riot Control
Weight: Gun: 20 lbs ammo drum: 30 lbs
Damage: A single round dose 1D4 SDC. Plus the round has a 50% chance of knocking its target off their feet.
Rate of Fire: Equal to number of combined hand to hand attacks
Maximum Effective Range: 1000 feet
Payload: 1000 round drum. A second drum can be hooked to the undercarriage of the rocket jets, but first the used drum must be manually removed by another SAMAS or character. Reloading a drum will take about 5 minutes for those not trained, but a mere one minute by somebody trained in the use of SAMAS power armor.
3. (Optional ) CNL- 480 Web Dispenser. An extremely experimental piece of equipment still in the testing phase.
Primary Purpose: Capture
Weight: 24 lbs, with a supply drum that weighs about 40 lbs.
Damage: None. A blast from this weapon creates a sticky web like substance that can aid in capturing criminals. A blast from this weapon is enough to tangle up one (or two, if there are standing very close) person who will have to cut there way out (webbing has approx 10 MDC requiring a vibro blade to cut)
Range: 200 feet.
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: enough for about 100 shots.
4. CM-2 Rocket Launcher. The forearm not used to operate the rail gun, usually the left, is armed with a simple, two rocket, mini-missile launcher. On the PA-06NL the rockets used are very rarely the lethal variety. However, this weapon system is essentially unchanged.
5. Energy Rifles. The Riot SAMAS is small enough that it can use any of the standard infantry weapons from pistols and vibro-blades to rifles. However, outside of the C-14 and the CP-50, the use of this model is reserved for police efforts and military grade weapons are not usually used.
6. SDC weapons such as 12 gauge shotguns are also used depending on the situation. SDC weapons are used in favor of MD weapons especially in the city type environment.
7. Hand to Hand Combat. Rather than use a weapon, the pilot can engage in mega-damage hand to hand combat. See Basic and Elite Power Armor Combat Training on page 45 of the Rifts® RPG for combat bonuses.
8. Sensor Systems - Unchanged.
Thoughts?