MR. EDITORBy Derek "The Q" Quintanar

Well, we're back...For those of you just joining the Cyberpunk adventure, this is a supple-

ment/sourcebook for the Solo character role. We're giving you background andhistory (World Situation Report, Future of Force, Destroy All Flesh, I Was There),playing tips (Medically Alert, IPSC Range Review, C.J. O'Reilly), and equipment(Bubba&J.Ts Reviews, New at the Paris Show, The Open Road). This is done in"magazine" format, as if you were reading this in 2020. The yearbook would befaxed or downloaded to you through a subscription service, or you could buy aprintout or download at a dataterm. It's a way of giving your Solo character moredepth that just another "guy-with-a-gun."

So what have you done for me lately?Those who've taken this route before (via the best-selling Cyberpunk sup-

plement of all time, the original SOF) will find that we haven't let you down. Thebook has increased in size by 50%, stuffed full of cyberware, equipment, vehi-cles, and—oh, yeah—weapons, too. There are close to 40 of them in both arti-cles and advertisements. Enough toys for a looong time...

But "toys for the boys" is not the only game in town. New places to play arebeing detailed, such as the East Bloc/USSR and the SouthAm. The best Solos inAmerica are presented for use as supporting cast or deadly enemies. Plus, tipson running low-cyberware games, or "practice" runs for training purposes.

Hey, one of these articles is the same as before!?In order to handle this larger format, RTG has staged this issue of SOF as a

year-end Annual, showcasing the best articles of the period 2014-2020. We'veactually reprinted Jersey Whitherspoon's column from the original SOF as partof our look at Eastern Europe, and to reinforce that "Best Of feeling.

Now you've got the biggest guns, toughest vehicles, sharpest intel, and bad-dest attitude in the Dark Future—what are you gonna do with it? Get out thereand show those posers that you're packin' the most powerful weapon of all-Information!

Derek Quintanar, S.E.

Solo of fortune magazine Is an enviromentally unfriendly product. Nothing has been recycled, except ammunition. Everything in this magazine has been done by trained professionals. Kids, pleasecheck with your parent before you do this at home The material in this magazine has been presented for the purposes of providing the public with Information, not for practical application.Remember, violence never solved anything. Except raccoons. Raccoons deserve everything they get Knock my trash cans over. will you, you little bast Coming next Issue: Naked Solo! 't No matterwhere you go, there you are. I Claim this highway In the name of the Prairie Dogs of the great state of Utah. Fight brave warriors! Watch the skies The truth is out there.

Articles By:Scott "Stealth" TaylorRoss "Spyke" WinnCraig "Boom Boom" SheeleyBenjamin "Guru" WrightWill "Macho Man" MossMike "Bandit" LaBossire

With Contributions By:Scott "Bubba" RugglesMike "Iceman" RoterMichael 'Terminator" ToddLes "Laser" ConnorsSteven "Slammer" SchultzJean-M. "Ringo" Ringuet

Editing:Derek "The Q" QuintanarJanice "Eradicator" Sellers

Cover;Mark "Spiff' Schumann

Cover Model:Ross "Spyke" Winn

Art Direction:Mark "Spiff' Schumann

Layout:Mark "Spiff' SchumannDavid "SuperSonic" Ackerman

Interior Art:Dan "Bogie" SmithMalcolm "Maverick" HeeJosh "Hoopster" HoopesJohn "Wyvern" MatsonDavid J. "Foo-Man" FoodenMike "Wizard" JacksonBenjamin "Guru" WrightScott "Bubba" RugglesPatrick 'Vargas" GidaroSam "SAM" Liu

YEARBOOK2020

SOLO OFFORTUNE VOL. 17

NO. 13

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE CORPORATli: MERCENARY

COLUMNS

INSTANTRESPONSE TIMEThe Loudest of the LoudMouth Off . ..4

I WAS THERE16th Annual SOPInvitational IPSCShootout . ..6

FULLY CHIPPEDHow to make your favoritefirearm bigger, louder, anddeadlier 7

IN FOCUSBows & arrows aren'tjust for guys in tightsanymore. ...38

DEAD ON TARGETJersey Witherspoonbehind the IronCurtain ..40

MEDICALLYALERTThe new lean, mean ethosof cyberware 89

HIRING HALLWhere to go,who to kill .... ...96

FEATURESNEW FOR FALLThe newest gunson the hottest models atthe Paris GunShow., ..11

THE FUTURE OFFORCE 2020-2050The present and futureof large and small scaleconflicts............................14

THE FUTURE OFFORCEWhat does all this meanfor the professionalsoldier? .............................24

SPECIAL REPORT:C.J. O'REILLY INSOUTH AMERICALearnin' Lessons andBurnin' Bridges 26

A DAY AT THERANGEBubba and J.T. test theHK-77UK and otherimplements ofdestruction , 30

WORM)SITUATIONREPORTThe new USSR andCentral Europe 44

AMERICANANGELSA top Euro-solo ratesAmerica's 10 Best.........58

DESTROY ALLFLESH!!A Full 'Borg Solo speakshis digital mind andshows us what big gunsreally are 66

FBITHE OPEN ROAD:WALKING STEELLegged Vehicles — thenewest for industrial andmilitary use 77

MAXIMUMFIREPOWERWeaponry Enhancements,including Railguns.Neat! 82

FROM THESHOWROOMNew ways to getaround.. 85

IPSC RANGEREVIEWWhere the baddest honetheir skills. LFI is a cake-walk next to this........ ....92

LETTER OF THEMONTH: WonderingAbout Wondernines

Sirs:I'm writing to complain about the

poor coverage your magazine hasgiven to the classic (and in my opinion,superb) 9mm pistol, you know what Imean—the good old high-capacity,high-reliability, high-accuracy, low-costguns that most civilians rely on for self-defense. It seems your magazinewould have we readers believe thatsuch "wondernines" aren't made any-more. I've checked, and the only9mms your magazine has reviewed inthe past 14 months are the FederatedArms X-9 (which holds 12+1 9mmrounds) and the Militech Avenger(10+1 rounds).

What is this? Both weapons weredescribed in your June 2019 issue asbeing "of high quality and very popu-lar," but neither holds as many shots aspre-millennium wondernines packingbrass-cased ammo. Don't tell me thatnines are good only as hideout pistols!

In your October 2020 issue, yourwriters slid to the other end of thespectrum in the article on "ExoticNines," which covered the Texas ArmsM351 Gyrojet Pistol (8+1 rounds of9mm Gyrojet), the Hammer M-11Sabot-Bolt pistol (10+1 rounds of 9mmBolts) and the Beretta M97P (whichholds 18+1 rounds but has a built-inlasersight). Again, why the strangetreatment of the venerable nine? Arewe, your readers, to believe that 9mmsare exotic weapons? Come on!

As if this were not aggravationenough, the May 2013 issue listedmany 9mm pistols under the section"Unspeakable Trash"! The Fashion-Gun9 (13+1 rounds), Kang Tao Type-97(12+1) and Sci-Fi Starrior-4 (12+1) arecertainly garbage, but they sure aren'trepresentative of the whole crop!Frack!

Fact of the matter is, the only hon-est-to-Gibson wondernine your maga-zine has covered is the SouthAmerican Goncz-Taurus Pistol, whichholds 15+1 rounds, but it uses old,brass-cased ammo and is not all thatreliable, so while this gun qualifies, itisn't even up to 2020's minimumtechnological standards! What—arethere NO true wondernines any-more!?

Exasperated,Angus KesslerGeorgia, Late at night

Angus, Angus, Angus. We don'thave anything against nines—ourreaders do! Most of our subscribersare hardcore Solos; they need bigguns to take on armored opponentsor small guns they can hide undertheir jackets. Typical wondernines aretoo "straight-laced" for a modernsamurai's needs.

For those of you who don't haveyour "Firearms History" chip slotted atthe moment, the story started with theHigh-Power—designed by JohnBrowning and manufactured by FN inBelguim. The Browning Hi-Power (also

known as the BMP and the HP-35) wasthe first "wondemine"—a 9mmParabellum autoloading pistol with adouble-column magazine. It was a rev-olution, and soon the pistol marketwas flooded with new wondernines;the Hi-Power holds 13+1 rounds, but itwas soon to be outdone by the BerettaM92F (15+1), the Clock 77 (J7+1) andthe SteyrGB-80 (18+1). Eventually, theprinciples of the wondemine becameold hat, but the popularity of this typeof weapon has never faded from pub-lic interest.

Angus seems worried that won-dernines will fade from sight, largelydue to this publication. We hope not,and fortunately, there are still areplenty of wondernines to be found;these days, they're almost universallybuilt from carbon-fiber compositesand fire caseless ammunition.They've got three advantages over20th-century models: they're lighter,they pack more shots in the maga-zine and they're more reliable.Because all the technologies requiredto make these weapons are in com-mon use throughout the world, andbecause there are much more potent(and thus more popular) high-fire-power pistols on the market, won-dernines are also decidedly cheap.The following are some of the mostwidely-sold modern wondernines:Constitution "Bronco," Daewoo DPT7,H&K P-18, IMI's Gideon, Militech'sA226, S&W M2009 and the Walter915.

Fear not, Angus. The 9mm lives on!

21st CenturyWonder-ninesP• - • +1 • - •J• - •E• - • 2D6+19mm Caseless) • - • See Below •-*2 • - • VR •- •50m •- • ???ebAll wondernines are pretty muchthe same: relatively accurate, firingcaseless 9mm ammo; semi-auto-matic, and easy to get ahold of. Ingame terms, all wondernines havethe same stats except for name,shots and price: roll 1D6 and addthis to 14 to determine the shotsper magazine, and add (the samenumber you rolled on your 1D6)x10 to 240eb to determine theprice in Eurodollars. Then justmake up a name, or just choosefrom the guns mentioned above.As an option, you could assumethat all 2020 wondernines pack20+1 rounds and cost 300eb.

Sirs:I wish to protest your bias against

sub-calibers, appearing in several ofyour previous issues. Such rabble-rous-ing should be beneath your publica-tion. I am a user of the P2M13 in .177Caseless from Heckler & Koch. Themagazine capacity is high for its size, itcan be bought with a suppressor, andthe explosive cartridge has the properstopping/wounding power for civilizedEurope. Because it is not the "handartillery" so commonly found in theAmericas, is no reason to denigrate itsperformance.

yours, in irritation,Joel SimoneDept 5France, EC

Sir, we're going to let our reviewer,J.T. answer your letter—

A-hem—OK, you wine-sipping gonk,here's the scoop:

One, we're not all vat-grown Angelsthat can hit a man in the trigger fingerfrom a dead run; the . 177 caselessdoes just enough damage to makesomeone notice you—and be mad as

hell when he does. Two, hyper-velocitysmall-bores generate a lot of heat, notgood, even for modem caselessrounds. There's always the chance of acook-off, and thatll mess up yourwhole op. Three, I'm opposed to thecaliber, not the gun. See my review ofthe Suranam MP in this issue. H&Kmakes solid pieces; if only they'd dothe P2M series in 7mm. And finally, ifyou want a non-violent alternative, geta .454 Davis Phoenix and load it withgel-slugs. Now there's a manstopperthat won't spill a drop!

Sirs:your interview of Emile Lazarus in

the July 2020 issue was one of thebest bios of this outstanding warleader ever done. I was inspired totake a trip to Virginia and visit theLazarus Group's HQ there. I'm now intraining to join a Lazarus unit ThanksSOF, for starting me on a new action-oriented career.

yours gratefully,J. Sable, jrSpringfield, MO

J., we agree with you 100%; if you'regoing to join the military—join the rightmilitary! Lazarus is a man that any ofour staff would follow to hell and backin a minute.

Sirs:What's the scoop on war-surplus T-

14 combat shotgun systems? There'stalk running around that the US govtsreleasing old copies to the police andsecurity markets. If so, will they needrefurbishing?

yours,Kenshiro ShimaHawaii

Ken, the US took such a beating inthe SouthAm that a lot of ordnancewas lost; there's no telling what might

show up in the Mexican and SouthAmerican markets. Anything you getthere will probably be missing majoraccessory groups and need some seri-ous rebuilding. As for the remaininggovernment T-14s, yes, they are sellingthem to licensed security firms. Thosewill be in reasonably good shape forhard-use items over 10 years old. Justhave a reliable weapons tech give itthe once-over before you bet your lifeon it...

Hey Screwheads:I just returned from watching Alien

Predators Ate My Aerodyne down atthe Night City 88 Theaters, and wasappalled to see that the hero wasbeing played by the editor of Solo ofFortune magazine! Not only can thisguy not act, but he has the mostannoying voice I've heard in years, andhe looks like he fell through the uglytree and hit every branch on the waydown! Magazine editors pretendingthat they're actors! What are you think-ing? Come on, get real!

yours,C. KellerNight City, CA

Well, Ummm, Well...

We haven't been getting enough let-ters lately. If you've got any commentson Solos, or related paramilitary mat-ters, write us at Instant Response Timec/o So/o Publications, 1212 LipmannDrive, Baltimore MD, USA 21215. NetNode 3570.65.2110 rustbelt

by Jan Brett

Iwait, tense, in the darkness. Myhand flexes around the Pachmayrgrip of my flechette gun as my tar-

geting sweeps the room. Clear tonerings, and I slam out of the room intothe hallway. Target! Boosters racing,my Nikon has acquisition before I'meven conscious that the Hammerli hasleft its Safariland Omega Option hol-ster. Squeeze, and a pair of flechettesslam home. I'm off down the hall,sweeping each doorway as I run. Fire!I dive into a roll as tracers fly over me.I come up shooting, putting flechettesin both eyes.

I'm up and running, PaceSetterfuels my strides. Target! two quicksqueezes and it's down. Ahead I cansee the doorway...and two targetsstepping into it just as my Sandevistanstarts to drop out. On the edge of theboost, my hands starting to shake, Isqueeze off two shots, and watch indismay as I miss one!

He's got me and he knows it."Drop the gun, Jan." I do it, kick it overto him, and raise my hands in a "ya gotme" shrug. He doesn't notice. Good,the index finger straightens...slowly...locked. He still hasn't noticed. "Well,the great shooter Brett, stopped atlast." he gloats, smirk all over his face.Amateur. I grin, which should worry

him, but doesn't. "Maybe not" I throwoff casually as the synth muscles in myfinger tense.

The dart catches him in the cheekas I dive into a tumble. My feet slaminto his chest as the neurotoxin takeseffect, locking every muscle in hisbody. I grab my gun and run throughthe door. Final tone sounds, and I'mdone.

"Hey Jan, you missed. I thoughtyou never missed?" "Funny man,Morgan." I gasp as I towel off thesweat. A bottle of VitaDrink is sittingon the chair and I grab it, guzzling itdown.

And that was just the first eventI was at the 16th annual SOF invi-

tational IPSC shoot, held this year atthe training grounds on the OahuMilitary reservation in Hawaii; one ofthe toughest courses in the world. Fivedays of fun, sun, and guns in the sand.I packed the SPF-80 suntan lotion.

For those who have been livingunder a rock in Mongolia, IPSC standsfor International Practical ShootingCompetition. Basically, it's a place toshow off your shooting and combatskills, win prizes, and drool over the toys

The plethora of categories of com-petition that have sprung up since thesport was invented is impossible toexplain in a short article; suffice it to saythat if you shoot, you can competePlaying up here in the Freestyle of

16TH ANNUAL SOF

INVITATIONAL IPSC

SHOOTOUT

I WAITIN THE

DARKNESS.MY HAND

FLEXESAROUND

THE GRIPOF MY

FLECHETTEGUN •••

Unlimited Classes takes cash and train-ing, though.

And you can get either here. Theprizes topped out at 10,000 Euro, andclasses by some of the best shooterswere held all five days. Hey, I even gotto teach a course on AugmentedShooting; loads of fun.

IPSC started as pistols only, butover the years has expanded to includesub-guns, rifles and shotguns of alltypes, and even heavy weapons. Andthe shooter's bazaar certainly reflectedit Although the emphasis was on cus-tom and stock pistols of all flavors, Ialso examined a new Smartshelllauncher by Armatech, two backpacklaser designs, and a new binary-propel-lant rifle by Tsunami. I skipped over therailgun designs (Militech, Tsunami, andH&K), and the various Borg guns—justnot my style.

Accessories were in abundance aswell: scopes, leather (gloves and hol-sters), compensators, interface gear,COTs, silencers, extended magazines,custom refitting by the Smiths (JoshLinebaugh didn't appear though; toobad, I wanted to thank him for the workhe did on my carry piece), and grips inwood, polymer, resin, even steel (forthe Borgs). I drooled over some CapoBolo grips for my HFP, and some Ebonyones for my dress gun. If you wanted it,you could get it here.

Five days later, I had some greatmemories, some new tricks up mysleeve, some cash in my pocket (pre-cious little, after all the buying I did),new toys, and three new medallions tohang on my wall.

Oh, and the worst sunburn I've hadin a long time!

Jan Brett is a professional shooteron the IPSC circuit, having won theLunar Freestyle of 2014, among othertrophies. A native of Tycho, Jan nowlives in San Francisco, where she occa-sionally freelances as a bodyguard orcourier.

FULLYCHIPPED

THIS MONTH:ADVANCEDWEAPONCUSTOMIZATION

I n 2020, no two weapons areexactly alike. The addition of bothaccurizing and customizing

options give any weapon a uniquefeel and style that can be tailored touse, look, or application. Prices givenfor these modifications are in multi-ples of the weapon base price. 1x isequal to list price, 2x is twice that,etc. Price modifications are addedtogether, not multiplied. These pricesare moderated by normal economicfactors (quality, black market avail-ability, etc.). The modifiers given hereare for customizing an existingweapon. If the player has the weapon

built to specification (by a weapon-smith with CADaM and autofactory,for instance) the price modifiers arehalved. Still, it's not cheap to build acustom weapon, but this is what aut-ofactories were designed for!

Example:Colt A/O 10mm Autoloading PistolSmartlink™ (1x price, +2WA)Custom Grips (0.3x price, +1WA vs

Fast Draw/Snapshot)Barrel Extension (0.2x price, +25%

range)Solenoid Trigger (1x price, +1WA at

extreme ranges only)Printless Finish (2x price)

So, what we end up with is anOlympic-class target pistol with anOlympic price, twenty-seven hun-dred euro!! Over five times the priceof a normal A/O! (Don't forget, youhad to buy the weapon, too.) Godhelp you if you need this weapon on

several hours notice instead of sever-al days, the price would rise evenmore. This is a weapon for a world-class solo. The datastring looks likethis:

PISTOL • +5(+6) • L • R • 2D6+3(10mm) • 10 • 2 • VR • 65m • 2750eb

This one costs 15Keb; pocketchange for the average rock star.

Example:Malorian3516Custom Grips «3.3x price, +1WA vs

Fast Draw)Barrel Extension (0.3x price, +25%

range)Solenoid Trigger (1x price, +1WA at

extreme ranges only)Pearlescent Grey Finish (1x price)

PISTOL •-1 (+0) • L • R » 6D6 <14mm>• 6 • 1 • VR • 65m • 15,840eb

GripsCustom-molded grips can help hand-gun accuracy on the fast draw. Thereare two drawbacks: grips cannot becustomized for cyberhands,BattleGloves or Powered Armor, andcustom grips are made for one specif-

ic person (anyone else uses theweapon at normal WA).

Custom-grips are molded from aporous, pliant rubber material that willwear faster than standard grips. Forgame purposes the grips must bereplaced annually, or the weapon losesthe accuracy bonus. Custom grips cost0.3x weapon price, require a DifficultWeaponsmith skill roll and take fortyminutes to install with the proper equip-ment. Weapon Accuracy is increasedby +1 during Fastdraw and SnapshotsOnly (CP2020, pg.97). There is noweight modification. Heavy weaponscannot have custom grips of any kind.

On rifles and shotguns, this optioninvolves an adjustable stock as well(cheek-pieces and butt-pads). For lon-garms the modification costs 0.6xweapon price; requires a DifficultWeaponsmith roll, and two hour's time.Twenty shots on a target range are alsorequired to adjust for a specific shooter.The modification allows 1 extra actionof Aiming, for a total Aiming bonus of+4. Anyone other than the intendeduser has a -1 penalty to WA, unless theytake 30sec to adjust the stock, givingthem a normal WA.

FoldingStocksFolding stocks (also collapsible ordetachable stocks) are a common mod-ification on non-bullpup style weapons.So common is this mod that fully halfthe non-bullpup assault rifles suppliedto troops (especially paratroops andvehicle crews) are supplied with thisoption. Folding stocks that replace solidstocks raise Concealability by one level(example, L to J) when folded. There's a-1 WA penalty when the stock isextended, and a -2 WA when it is fold-ed. If a folding stock is added to aweapon that does not normally have astock (i.e., pistols and some SMGs),then the WA is normal when folded and+ 1 at Long and Extreme ranges whenextended. Folding stocks cost 0.3xweapon price, and require an AverageWeaponsmith skill roll and one hour toinstall.

Solenoid &ElectricTriggersSolenoid and Electric triggers are firingassemblies that fully replace the stan-dard trigger. The most common use ofthis modification is for remote-firedvehicle weapons. An electric triggercan be used only on caseless ammo (ituses a charge to actually ignite theround, as opposed to the impact of afiring pin on a primer). A weapon witha solenoid trigger must either besmartlinked, or have a firing stud ofsome kind. The benefits of these mod-ifications are two-fold: first if a weaponhas a solenoid or electric trigger, issmart-linked, and has a securityoption, then no one but the owner canoperate the weapon. Sure, a good techcould change the code, but it takestime and tools that the average fleeingfelon lacks. Second, in long-rangesniping situations, trigger-pull candeviate a bullet just enough to miss.With a solenoid trigger, this is eliminat-ed.

Electric triggers perform basicallythe same functions as solenoid trig-gers, but for caseless weapons.Electric triggers were developed aspart of binary weapons technology

(like the M31a1). They are being usedin caseless weapons as well to elimi-nate primers (thus decreasing theammunition weight). The savings isnegligible to the individual soldier, butwhen moving bulk lots of thousands ofrounds they save weight and cost

Solenoid triggers cost 1x weaponprice and increase weapon weight by1/10th. Solenoid and Electric triggersgive a +1 WA at Extreme Range only.Building a solenoid trigger is anAverage Weaponsmith or DifficultElectronics roll, and takes one hourwith proper tools and equipment. Ittakes another three hours to modify100 rounds of ammo with an AverageWeaponsmith roll, you can buy case-less ammo manufactured for electricfire; it costs 0.9x normal price, and willnot work in regular caseless weapons.

Barrels—ChoppingChopped or "sawn-off" barrels are acommon modification that makes aweapon more concealable, butreduces accuracy and range. Onlyrifles and shotguns are normallychopped, as most SMGs and hand-guns use shorter barrel lengths to startwith.

Chopping costs about 0.3xweapon price. Concealability increas-es one level (L to J, N to L, etc.) Allrange brackets are cut in half, e.g.,Long range for a rifle would be 200m.Shotgun pattern sizes are 50% wider(at all ranges) after chopping.Handguns and SMGs have a -1 WApenalty if they're chopped. Heavyweapons like the Barret Light-20 canbe chopped, but Concealability staysN. Barrel-chopping concealmentbonuses do not compound with fold-ing stock bonuses. Referee's discre-tion and common sense always apply.

Warning: these penalties are forsemi-professional modification, atleast. Anybody can get a hacksaw andshorten your gun. This usually resultsin damage to the gun—and the shoot-er. WA penalty is -2; if the attack roll isa 1 or a 2, the barrel is jammed and

the weapon is useless. If the attack rollis a fumble, the action explodes, doingthe weapon's normal damage in a0.5m radius.

Barrels—ExtensionSome rifles/pistols are fairly accurateat range, but improved projectile stabi-lization could easily make them moreso. Increasing barrel length canimprove range.

Increasing barrel length costsabout 0.3x weapon price.Concealability is reduced one level (Lto N, J to L, etc.) Range is increased by25% (round up to nearest 5m) i.e., apistol's Long range would now be65m. This modification can only bedone once per weapon.

MagazinesExtended magazines are as old asslugthrowers themselves. Since thefirst repeating firearm was inventedsomeone has been trying to put offreloading for as long as possible. InCyberpunk 2020, any magazine-fedsmall arm (and Heavy Weapons) canhave an extended magazine of up tofive times the original magazinecapacity.

If a magazine carries more than 2xthe original capacity, the followingpenalties apply: Concealment isreduced one level (L to N, J to L, etc.);this is compoundable with otherConcealment mods. Initiative bonusesfor Snapshots (CP2020, pg.97) are at -1 for handguns/SMGs and -2 forrifles/shotguns. Reliability is reduced byone level as well. Magazines cost 1 ebper shot for cased ammo, and 0.5ebper shot for caseless ammo. Extendedmagazines for heavy weapons cost 2or 3 euro per round (Ref's discretion).

Full Auto/Selective FireAny weapon (other than a revolver) canbe made full-automatic or selective fire.It is an expensive option, but can ruinyour opponent's day.

Burst fire modification adds aselector switch that allows single-shot,or three-round burst fire. The modcosts 1.5x weapon price, takes three tosix hours and a Very DifficultWeaponsmith skill roll. WA has a -1penalty and Reliability drops by onelevel (this can be further modified).

There are two types of full-automodifications. The first is pure autofire.The weapon cannot be fired single-shot, and always expends at least 1/2the magazine capacity when the triggeris pulled (to a maximum ROF of 30).This modification costs 1x weaponcost; reliability drops by two levels (ifreliability is below UR, the weaponautomatically jams on a fumble andyou must roll to see if it breaks), andWA is automatically -1. This modifica-tion is a Difficult Weaponsmith roll andtakes two hours.

The second type is selective fire.This mod adds a selector switch thatwill allow single-shots, three-roundbursts, or full autofire. The WA has a -2 penalty for full autofire, but is normalfor single shots and burst fire. Weaponreliability drops by one level, and costis 2x the weapon price. This modifica-tion requires a Very DifficultWeaponsmith roll and four to sixhours.

ExtendedAutofire, HeatResistance &CoolingSystemsWith the advent of extended maga-zine designs, there comes the dangerof trigger-happy gunslingers literallyshooting their weapon to death. Mostsmall arms are designed for shortbursts; extended periods of autofireare almost guaranteed to overheat(and ruin) a weapon. LMGs, SAWs andsimilar weapons are designed for con-stant autofire; SMGs, machine pistolsand assault rifles are not.

For each consecutive combatround of full-auto firing from a non-LMG or SAW-type weapon, theReliability level drops by one. Again, ifReliability is below UR, the weaponautomatically jams on a fumble andyou must roll to see if it breaks.

Modern polymer and ceramicstechnology have created replacementbarrels that can take the heat andabuse of extended autofire. The mod-ification counteracts one level of heat-related reliability loss. Heat-resistantbarrels cost 0.5x the weapon price.They require an AverageWeaponsmith skill roll, and take 40minutes to install. It requires aDifficult Weaponsmith roll to manu-facture one. Manufacturing takes onehour with the proper tools, materialand equipment.

FinishesYOU can only accessorize in blue forso long. Eventually, either fashion orcareer will force you to carry aweapon in a nonstandard finish. YOUcannot carry a blued revolver withwhite shoes. YOU cannot carry an opti-cal-orange assault rifle while wearingcammo-pattern Metalgear™.

All weapons come in either park-erized (matte black), blued, or nickelfinish at no extra charge. Some of the

polymer one-shots even come in awider range of colors. Those optionsare covered by the manufacturer.

If you want real custom finishes likechrome, neons, etc.; these cost extra.

Natural colors (basic red, green,black) cost 0.1x weapon price.

Chrome, pearlescent, camouflageand gloss colors cost 1x weapon price.

"Bowling-ball" finishes (two ormore colors in pearlescent swirls) cost0.3x weapon price.

THERE ARE AFRIGHTENINGAMOUNT OF

WEAPONS OUTTHERE THAT

ARE JUSTDANGEROUS TO

THE USER.HAVING A

WEAPON JAMON YOU

USUALLY ONLYHAPPENS

ONCE.

NeonGlow® iridescent finishesactually emit light and cost 1.5xweapon cost. Sure, it looks cool, butdon't carry this unless you want toadvertise. If you've got techhair andsynthskin—go for it!

Printless™ finish, a teflon parkeriz-ing that resists fingerprints (NearImpossible TECH -based skill check to"lift" prints) costs at least 2x weapon-

cost; plus cammo, or other finish, ifneeded. Warning: possession of aweapon treated with such a finish is aclass-three crime in some states (seeProtect&Serve).

QualityThere are a frightening amount ofweapons out there that are just dan-gerous to the user. Streetmasters areas common as headaches, but theyjam constantly no matter how cool theneon green finish sets off your eyes.Having a weapon freeze up on youusually only happens once, so reliabil-ity is big issue on the street. The rea-son so many solos carry Arasaka isquality. The reason Solos don't usuallycarry Hong Kong Arasaka rip-offs isquality.

YOU can buy that stylish new fla-vor-of-the-week weapon manufac-tured (read copied) using better mate-rials, machining and care. For each0.5x the weapon price, increaseReliability by one level. If you wantsome one to think you are stupid, lookstupid. Carry a Streetmaster orCyberMag. Style doesn't mean stupid.Style means sneaky.

CompensationRecoil can be a problem in any firefightsituation. Compensation is the additionof ports cut into a barrel attachment.These ports direct the explodinggasses usually upward, to compensatefor the muzzle jump associated withfiring a weapon. Compensators reducemuzzle jump, allowing for faster follow-up shots. This modification allows a +1ROF for weapons firing in semi-automode (ROF 1 or 2). Though this isespecially true of large-bore pistolsand SMG's, even a smaller weapon'smuzzle-climb decreases.

Compensation can be added as amodified barrel on any firearm.Compensation costs 0.4x theweapon's price. The modificationrequires a Difficult Weapontech roll,and two hours with the proper tools.

NEW FOR FALLby Dementia Sixteen,

Style Consultant for Solo of Fortune.

T his year's fall show at the treschic Gallerie LeGun of Paris wasa major success. Several of the

world's premier designers showedimpressive work for the new season.As far as this reviewer is concerned,the best designs were for ACPA andFull-Conversions. Arasaka, led by vet-eran designer Tsuneo Storm; andMalorian Arms, this year showingworks by Janice Heart, were the bigwinners with immediate orders fromNight City MaxTac and LawDiv'sEmergency Response Unit. Otherattendees included LAPD, The LazarusGroup, DMS, and many, many more.

Arasaka "Rage"15mm SMG [AssaultWeapon!Jacqueline is modeling the "Rage"15mm Submachinegun. Arasaka hasdeveloped this concept as a primaryanti-cyborg/light vehicle weapon sys-tem for full-conversions and ACPA, ire'sbonl The weapon comes standard witha telescoping stock that stows conve-niently (for use by Full-Conversions). Aselection of different finishes includingstainless, basic black, and hautechrome are available. There are a vari-ety of magazine sizes to fit any stylefrom sidearm to primary weapon.

Calling this weapon a subma-chinegun is not quite le mot juste; itdescribes the weapon's mission moreaccurately than its actual size. Theround is based (loosely) on the 15mmround used in the BRG-15 auto-can-wiu.The designers have discarded thenecked-down casing for a simplerstraight casing with about two-thirdsthe muzzle energy of the originaldesign, though at greatly decreasedrange. This still allows for massivedamage to armored personnel

(including full-conversions andACPA), armored vehicles, and struc-tures. Currently, the only rounds avail-able are high explosive, and a stan-dard ball-type "practice round." This isa far stretch from the pistol-caliberSMG's of original nomenclature.

If initial orders are any indication,this weapon will be a big hit this year.Now all the buyers need is to findsomething macho enough to shoot at

SMG/RIF • -1 /-2 • L • P • 4dKH3[15mmKurz] • 20* • 1 or 10) • VR• 100m • 4500ebIf fired single-shot then WA is -1.When fired three-round burst WA is -2. The weapon does not have burstfire capability. Due to recoil, at leastan Omega-class linear frame, or full-conversion 'Borg with a STR of 15-f isnecessary for firing. Listed damage isfor the steel-jacketed "practiceround" (AP). Damage for the HEround is 3D 10 explosive with a one-meter dia. Ammunition costs 8ebper shot for "practice rounds" or20eb per shot for HE (BOD min=15,see Recoil Rules on pg. 68)Ten-round magazines cost 20ebeach (empty). Twenty-round maga-zines are 40eb each (empty). Thelarger fifty-round magazines cost100eb each, and lower the reliabilityby one category (to ST).ACPA Stats: 1 Space and 20SDP •Twenty-round Magazines are 1Space and 15SDP • Both are pooravailability • Weapon weight is 8kg,magazine weight is 1kg (10), 2kg(20), and 5kg (50).

Arasaka TsunamiGrenade LauncherArasaka has had great success lastseason with two weapon systems:the "Oni" 10-gauge assault shotgun(for ACPA) and the 25mm "Tsunami"grenade launcher (for ACPA andvehicle use). Both weapons havefilled a need that was not servicedby other products to date. The Oni is

an ammo hog and too heavy to bedeployed in less than PoweredArmor. The Tsunami, however, is avery flexible option at several levels.The 40 & 25mm support grenadelaunchers offered by other manufac-turers are useful, but limited, in theurban battlefield. These are low-pressure systems that lack the rangeand speed of delivery necessary forurban assault needs. The Tsunami'sunique high-pressure design, provid-ing both longer effective range andgreater delivery speed are tres mag-nifique in today's conflict environ-ment.

Silvia is modeling the "PocketTsunami" revolver-style grenadelauncher. The term "pocket" grenadelauncher is also misleading. This is asmall and very mission-specificweapon; more similar to a pocket-battleship than to a pocket-knife.This weapon gives full-conversioncyborgs a devastating primary sup-port weapon, infantry a veryportable, effective support weapon(more versatile than a mortar), andACPA an awesome "sidearm."

Heavy • 0 • L • P • Varies (25mmmini-gren) • 6 • 1 • ST • 200m •1250ebThis is a massive six-shot revolver-type GL There are two configura-tions. The Cyborg-Support configura-tion looks like an Arwen Riot GL, butmore stylized and streamlined. Thisconfiguration has a forend grip andno stock. The ACPA "sidearm fromhell" configuration appears as a BIGsix-gun. In the six-gun configurationthe weapon accuracy is decreasedto -2. ('Borg support gun BODmin=11, ACPA pistol BOD min=23)Grenades Types and Damage:Fragmentation : 3d6+1, 5m radius,15ebHE: 5d6,3m radius, 15ebHEP : 5d6, (1/2 SP, armor reduced2 Ms, 1/2 dam. stun), 25ebIncendiary : 4/3/2d6 over threeturns, 2m radius, 15eb

These are high-pressure mini-grenades and cannot be used in theMilitech Min-GLACPA Stats: weapon is 1 space, mag-azines are 1/2 space (the magazinesare loaded cylinders that arereplaced by hand taking two turns) •Weapon is SDP 15, magazines areSDP10 • Both are poor availability •Weapon weight 8kg, magazineweight 1kg

Malorian 3600Super-SMG

Tim shows off the Malorian 3600Super-SMG. Erin Malour—and mostof the law-enforcement community,to be sure—is probably sorry the"Silverhand" 3516 was everdesigned. The weapon has beenripped-off more than the GermanMG42—how gauche. But JaniceHeart has come back with avengeance. Instead of letting theimitators grab the glory, she hasupped the ante and designed aweapon truly brutal, truly huge, andtruly a new pox on police and metal-heads everywhere. The 3600 SuperSMG. Basically, Malorian has re-scaled the cartridge in a weapon toolarge to be called a submachine gun,and too short to be considered anassault rifle, you need a cyberarmand chest-plating to fire the thing (ortake 1D6+3 ignoring soft armor-including skinweave), and it is notvery accurate in the base configura-tion, but it will pop Metalgear™ atpoint-blank range every time.

Til next season—ciao

SMG • 0/-1 • L • P • 6d6 [14mm]• 20 • 1 or 3 • VR • 50m• 3000ebAmmunition is 5eb per round.Magazines are 40eb each. WA is 0 forsingle-shot and -1 for three-roundburst The weapon is not capable ofautomatic fire. (BOD min = 11)

Midnight firms has become the exclusive dealer in the Free Stateof California for such respected firms as Stein & Wasserman andUrbantech. MR also sells such established greats as Techtronicaand Pursuit Security Inc. at bargain prices!Stein & Wasserman Bi-Power Handcannon

850ebP • +0 • J/L • P • 4D6 (.44 Mag) • 6 • 2 • ST • 50mP • +1 • J/L • - • 2D6+2 (.45 ACP) • 10 • 2 • ST • 50mAfter a long wait, Stein & Wasserman's "Bi-Power" is nowcommercially available! Following a previously unheard-ofdesign philosophy, this hybrid handgun mates a double-action.44 Magnum revolver to a .45 ACP autoloader. The sturdy gripholds 13 rounds of .45-caliber ammo in a double-column mag-azine, feeding into the upper portion of the gun. The automat-ic's long slide ends in a compensator, but (because it's builtinto the frame beneath the barrel of the automatic and ahead ofthe trigger assembly) the revolver's barrel is somewhat snubby. "R" (revolver) mode or "A" (automatic) mode can be selected atthe flip of a thumb-switch. Although many complain that the choice of brass-cased ammo for both barrels makes the weaponless reliable, the Bi-Power rarely malfunctions. The Bi-Power's worst problem is its size—packing a .45 auto with an 8.5" barreland a .44 Magnum wheelgun into one package makes this handcannon "L" concealability for anyone with a BOD of less than 8.

UrbanTech Lance Mini-Missile 100ebHVY • +2 • P • C • 4D6 (HEAT) • 1 • UR • 300mNeed an effective defense against tough attackers, but don't want to tote around a cannon? If so, the Lance is for you.The UrbanTech Lance is a personal Mini-Missle weapon. It consists of a single missile with breakaway protective case. Theweapon is armed by breaking the case, pointing it at the target, clicking the activation button, and pushing it away from thefirer. Use INT as the base To Hit stat instead of REF (this determines that you've pointed it correctly). The Lance's engine willkick in a safe distance from the launcher and seek the target (minimum range: 10m). The missile inflicts 4D6 damage to the tar-get; 2D6 in a 0.5m radius. (Note: this is a HEAT warhead; SP is halved, damage is not.) If the Lance misses, it has a 50% chanceto correct and make a second To Hit roll with a 0 WA.

MIDNIGHT ARMS, Night City Net, Midnite @ PacCom 225.347. Modem for our catalog.

By Lieutenant-Colonel FionaO'Shaugnessey

A s mercenaries and Edgerunners,our business is warfare, whetheron the small scale (extractions

and tactical engagements) or the largescale (strategic objectives). Knowingwhere the "state of the art" lies in mod-ern warfare, as well as having some ideaof where the art has been (and is going),makes us infinitely more likely to survive.Because both Corporations andGovernments are involved in the use ofmilitary force, and there are other groupsthat may well field units resembling "clas-sical" military units, this article will in gen-eral refer to "organizations" except whendealing with a specific peculiarity of oneor the other.

FORCE HASALWAYSBEEN AN

INSTRUMENTOF POLICY.

No look at warfare would be com-plete without a look at the past; byrealizing the mistakes of the past, wecan make sure not to repeat them.

Force has always been an instru-ment of policy. Organizations havealways had the option of using war toachieve their goals, since the first clanof Neanderthals decided that if theybashed their neighbors over the headthey could have the much nicer cavenext door instead of the one theywere living in.

For much of man's existence, warhas been a tool wielded in the mainby the elite: the Knight, the Samurai,the Legionnaire; soldiers who spent

most of their time training for war.Warfare in the Middle Ages was com-posed of skirmishes conducted duringthe summer months (between theplanting season in the spring, and har-vest in the fall), between units of, tous, incredibly small sizes. For exam-ple, in 1346, Edward III fielded a forceagainst the French of some 14,000soldiers, and the 4,000 French sol-diers who lay dead after the battle ofCrecy represented a loss of soldiersunmatched to that day; indeed, manybattles were fought with less than athousand soldiers per side.

But Crecy was, in its own way, asignal of changing times; the Englishyeoman with his longbow and knifecarried the day at Crecy, and tacticianssoon realized that while there wasalways a place for the specialist, thecitizen soldier was vital to the chang-ing face of war. As the weapon ofchoice changed from the bow and thesword (weapons requiring largeamounts of training to become com-petent) to the firearm (the basics ofwhich can be taught in a matter ofhours), massed tactics became thenorm, utilizing large numbers of hastilytrained conscripts. Many standingarmies became virtual skeletons:cadres of experienced NCOs and offi-cers which could be fleshed out bydraftees in a matter of weeks. Only the"colonial regiments" were maintainedat full strength; since they were, inmany cases, little more than armiesoccupying hostile lands, such was nec-essary.

This was a general policy thatwould change little until after WorldWar II. The Cold War paranoia of the"Red Threat", and the unwillingness ofmany European countries to providefor their own defense, precipitated anunparalleled build-up of military mightthe likes of which the world had neverseen. In 1989, the combined numbersof the American military exceeded 2million; nearly a full 1% of theAmerican population was involveddirectly in warfare; when factoring insupport and production, almost everyAmerican was involved in the Cold

War effort. Similar numbers prevailedin the USSR.

Since then, we have seen a drasticdrop in the numbers of military per-sonnel. Now, the largest single militaryorganization, the Chinese People'sLiberation Army, is, at 10.5 million,more than five times the size of thenearest competitor, the combinedforces of the Neo-Soviets and theircorporate armies. Of course, theChinese (and, to a large extent theNeo-Sovs) are still utilizing IndustrialEra styles of warfare (more on thislater).

This scale-back, along with thechanging role of the military and ofarmed conflict, has led to a prolifera-tion of so-called "Special Operations"units: America's SEALs and GreenBerets; the UK's Special Air Serviceand Special Boat Squadron; the Neo-Sov Spetsnaz, and the Black Ops unitsof the various corps (like Petrochem'sWater Leopards), to name a handful.Where once such forces made up onlya tiny fraction of an organization'soverall military strength, they may nowmake up even a tenth of those forces.

Overall numbers can be deceivingin terms of actual fighting strength.Modern forces, thanks to computer-ized inventory, requisition, and person-nel forms, automated communicationsystems, and self-diagnosing equip-ment, can make do with much less inthe way of rear echelon units: techni-cal, administrative, and support per-sonnel who are not involved with thefront line except in a peripheral man-ner. While such jobs still exist, manyhave been streamlined or consolidat-ed (thus, a unit's Signal team will alsohandle its paperwork). Older units, notyet utilizing such time/manpower sav-ing features, will usually have a ratio of10:1, where there are ten support sol-diers for every one who fights, whilemodern units may be as high as 4:1(this is more true of mercenary units,who can often make use of the sup-port personnel and facilities of theunits they fight with).

Modern military personnel arealso more highly trained than those in

almost any time previous. Not only istraining (using virtual simulators andchip-learning methods) more available,but there are few military personnelwho have not seen battle in some formor another. The near-constant brush-fire wars of the last thirty years, com-bined with unparalleled levels of civilunrest have seen to this.

So we have seen a return to theprofessional soldier: a combatant who

spends much of his time either fightingor preparing for combat. The percent-age of the world's population actuallyinvolved in active military duty hasnever been lower. And so the circlecloses.

MilitaryOperationsMilitary missions can be broken downinto three basic levels of operation(Strategic, Tactical, and Political), fourlevels of "secrecy" (Overt, Deniable,Covert, and Clandestine), and a num-ber of different basic types.

Strategic missions are basedaround long term goals of a basicallymilitary nature: missions that will per-manently (or near permanently)change the battle or war. These mightinclude the reconnaissance of a majorhostile force to discover its strength,the engagement of said force (to

destroy it, removing it from theenemy's assets), or the theft of majorintelligence dike the enemy's encryp-tion codes, or battle plans).

Tactical missions are thosedesigned to gain a short term militaryadvantage, or one on a small scale.They are often performed in conjunc-tion with, or in support of, a larger mis-sion. They might include the use of aSpecial Forces unit to disable anenemy radar installation before an airstrike, or a feint with an inferior forceto distract the enemy from a moreimportant activity.

Political missions are those per-formed for political gain, either inter-nally or externally. They are usuallyhigh-profile, overt jobs (what good is ahostage rescue if no one knows youdid it), or extremely low-profile, clan-destine ones (what good is gaining theinformation if everyone knows youhave it), with little grey area inbetween. Any mission can be a politi-cal one, so long as the objectives arebasically political rather than military(this can become vague, as the militaryis often used as a political tool).

Overt missions are those wherethe organization involved doesn't careif anyone knows that they are involvedor responsible. Indeed, in today'sworld, this usually means that they"definitely want" others to know theydid it, or else they have no option dueto the mission profile. Overt missionsare typically ones where the objectivesare well understood, and, if not easy, atleast attainable.

Deniable missions are thosewhich, when asked, the organization inquestion can plausibly say "We didn'tdo it, we have no knowledge of who isresponsible for the operation...wheredid you say it took place, again?" Manyfingers may point in the direction ofthe organization in question, but there"isn't enough evidence to indict", as alawyer would put it. To put it shortly,everyone knows (or at least suspects)the organization in question did it, butno one can prove it. Many Edgerunneractions occur at this level of secrecy(especially extractions or thefts, where

WE HAVE SEEN

THE RETURNTO THE

PROFESSIONAL

SOLDIER...

it is often hard to disguise the fact thatyou ended up with the goods).

Covert operations are thosewhere the organization has little inter-est in being discovered as beingbehind the op, thank you very much,but doesn't care who knows that ithappened. Covert Ops are verydemanding because of the need forsecrecy. No fingers can be left to pointat the organization, but at the sametime, the lack of evidence can itself bedamning; of course, aiming the job atsomeone else will have two groupsupset with you if word leaks out. Verytricky work.

In the perfect Clandestine opera-tion, no one should ever know that anoperation took place at all; no suspi-cions should be awakened that any-thing out of the ordinary has occurred.Clandestine operations are even moredifficult than Covert ones, obviously,as there are very definite limits as tothe level of force that can beemployed. Clandestine operationsusually involve the theft of some pieceof information that, were it known tobe compromised, could be swiftlychanged, or the placing of false infor-mation or equipment (like monitoringdevices).

MissionTypesThere are a large number of types ofmissions undertaken by military units,from subtle replacement of anenemy's Siglnt (signal intelligence)files, to a bald-faced grab for land.Many of the types listed here will seemmore the work of smaller units, but thefact is that larger units perform muchthe same operations, just on a largerscale (squads take city blocks; a divi-sion takes a city).

One of the more common smallunit operations today is HostageRescue; this entails the use of militaryforces to retrieve individuals (usuallynoncombatants) from a set locationcurrently occupied by hostiles. This isone of the least dangerous operations,relatively speaking, as the initiative is

solely with the attacker; the defendercannot evacuate or easily relocate.The problems, of course, lie in hostagecasualties, and the chance that thehostiles have access to outside sup-port.

Hostage rescue could be consid-ered a subtype of the Extraction mis-sion, but is usually considered a sepa-rate type. In the eyes of the military,there are two types of extraction. Thefirst is identical to the type exercisedby Corporations: the removal (willingor not) of an individual from his currentplace of employment or residence tobe relocated elsewhere. The second isthe removal of intelligence or militaryassets from an area after an operation(successful or not, although extractionafter a successful operation is usuallyless problematic). Contrary to popularbelief, forces (especially highly trainedSpecial Forces personnel) are usuallynot deliberately abandoned behindenemy lines after an operation to sinkor swim; such incidents (like inVietnam and Central America) arealmost always the result of a desperateneed for the unit originally assignedfor exfiltration elsewhere, or a mixup incommunications. This can be less truewith Mercenary teams.

Anytime an organization wants tomake a point by using its militaryassets, this is called a "projection offorce." This may be a simple matter ofmoving a number of ships into an areathat is of interest to them (such as the"carrier diplomacy" wielded by theUnited States in the last half of the20th century), or a complex series ofmilitary demonstrations (usually called"tactical maneuvers", or "training exer-cises") held in some area adjacent to alocation they are interested in. Usually,force-projection missions are notintended to result in hostilities, buthostilities can break out (for example,the downing of Libyan interceptors byAmerican F-14s during the Libyanblockade), and can escalate into a fullblown war (for example, the Americaninvasion of Somalia).

What an organization calls "mate-rials acquisition/reclamation" is

known, in layman's terms, as theft.Whether the theft is to recover some-thing that once belonged to the orga-nization, or to take something fromsomeone else, Military forces aresometimes called upon to use forcemajeure to take possession of someobject; this may be a prototype, blue-prints, intelligence, stocks and bonds(which can be very important during aCorporate takeover), or some irre-placeable treasure. It will almostalways, however, be something thatcannot be recovered by other means.Like extractions (which are secondcousins to "acquisitions"), there maybe a "sour grapes" clause; if the orga-nization performing the operationcan't get it, no one can have it (so blowit up).

Military forces are occasionallycalled upon to perform an assassina-tion. This is murder, plain and simple:the use of military force to remove anindividual or group of individuals fromthe playing field of life. Assassinationcan sometimes be secondary to a larg-er assignment (like the bombing oftents known to house MuammarKhaddafi during the Libyan bombingraids in 1987), or can be an operationin and of itself. Such operations areonly undertaken by Military forceswhen Intelligence assets are unable toreach a target, or when done in pursuitof a larger military objective (forinstance, the killing of a military leaderduring a war).

Sabotage/demolition, oftenknown as "removal of tactical/strategicassets", is the destruction of an oppo-nent's property. This may be done as amessage (don't mess with us; we knowwhat is important to you, and canbreak it when we want to), or for agreater reason (like destroying borderradar posts before a bombing run issent in). This can also be done pre-emptively (for example, the bombingof Iraqi nuclear facilities by the Israelisin the early 80's and again in the late90's), to remove an asset from anenemy's (or perceived enemy's) con-trol before they can use it against theorganization.

Reconnaissance is the scouting-out of an enemy's strengths and weak-nesses. Although satellite intelligencecan be very informative, it can also bespoofed. Personal reconnaissance is atherefore a vital adjunct, as it can backup satellite, Siglnt, or Humlnt (HumanIntelligence: spies) data with hardobservation. Of course, it is also themost difficult type of operation; Reconteams are far from friendly lines, oftenunderequipped for combat due to theamount of surveillance and supportgear they must carry (like food), andare typically far smaller than the forcesthey may run into.

The primary purpose of the mili-tary in warfare is taking land. This isdone by going into an area, killing orcapturing the opposition, and then

occupying it Taking land can be anincredibly bloody operation, especiallyagainst a resolved enemy (like onefighting on his home soil), or in urbansituations (where the narrow streetsand construction render air andartillery support much less likely).

Once the land has been acquired,a unit's role will often change to staticdefense. This is holding the land youhave occupied, or guarding an installa-tion or facility, and is the primary job ofthe infantry (air forces can destroyland, tanks can take land, but only theinfantry can hold land). Static defenseis both boring and nerve-wracking:nerve-wracking because you need tobe on constant alert, and boringbecause nothing happens until you letyour guard done.

Police actions are one of the tasksMilitary forces are not well suited for,but are increasingly called upon toperform. Soldiers are not police; theirreactions are to shoot at a potentialthreat, not yell at it. This is necessary;on the battlefield, there is little time toassess a target; if it's not one of yours,and it's armed, it's a hostile. In a policeaction, however, this can end up with(does end up with) innocent civiliansgetting shot, and criminals getting shotwhen maybe they didn't need to be.

The ChangingFace off War"Wars are fought using the next war'sweapons and the last war's tactics."This quote has become a maxim tolive by in this modern age, when war ischanging so rapidly that it is difficult tokeep track.

The introduction of the Net hasrevolutionized warfare in a great num-ber of ways. First, the Net has broughtinstant access to communication andinformation to the battlefield (aprocess which started in the Gulf Warof 1990, when air strikes and artillerybarrages were, in several cases, calledin by cellular phone because the radiosystems were jammed). Unit comman-ders can immediately call up informa-tion stored in databases a world away,or access real time images from orbitalsatellites (more on the importance oforbital assets later). Combat remotescan be controlled by operators a con-tinent away. It has also brought newarenas to warfare; large parts of the1 st Corporate War were fought in theNet, and it is widely believed that themajority of Corp wars will be foughtentirely in the Net, with real-worldoperations taking place to support theNet war, rather than the other wayaround. (Coverage of the first all-NetCorporate War is in our February2018 issue—Editor.) Information hasbecome increasingly vital to modernfield commanders; real-time simula-tions keep them appraised of theenemy's most likely next move, and ofwhat the enemy will think theirs will be.

So-called "Brilliant" weapons, like theEEC's Wyrm cruise missile, can homeunerringly on enemy targets, whilesmart guns and micro-missiles (precur-sors to a whole generation of "smartbullets") drastically increase thechances of a hit with sidearms.

"Information Era Warfare" goesbeyond simulations and cleverweapons, however; it requires rethink-ing how to fight a war. Units aredeployed to take advantage ofstrengths and weaknesses, targetsattacked to remove specific assetsfrom the enemy. Instead of attackingan armor battalion directly, its C3I(Command, Communications, Control,and Intelligence) assets are attackedinstead, hopefully crippling its ability tofight effectively. Assassinationbecomes a major tool of theInformation Era commander; if he candemoralize an enemy's regiment byremoving a commander, or ensure thatan incompetent is placed in commandby killing his superior, the Info-Eracommander has drastically enhancedhis odds. The S-2, or Intelligence andSecurity officer, becomes the singlemost important member of the com-mand team, after the CO. Information,not the weapons driven by it, hasbecome the most powerful tool on thebattlefield.

Part of the reason for theswitchover to this new style of warfareis the speed with which it can resolvea crisis. Since time in warfare truly ismoney (and great heaps of it), andsince few organizations can afford along-term conflict, the faster a conflictis over, the better. While units are notyet held to a budget for an operation,one can see that it is indeed possible,especially for Corporate forces: "Sorry,blokes, no air support today, no moneyin the bleedin' budget for it!"

While the formation of the Net andthe development of Information Erafighting are perhaps more importantchanges, developments in militarytechnology are the more visible ones.And visible they have been.

The aerodyne is rapidly finishingwhat its precursor, the helicopter,

started: the conversion of militaryforces from mostly ground vehicle-based, to being based primarily on aircavalry. The average American COG,for example, has as its ground ele-ments equal parts of motorized, airmobile, and mechanized units, whilesome units are almost strictly airmo-bile. This enhanced use of airmobileassets allows for rapid response tochanging battlefield conditions.

"The battle goes to the man hold-ing the high ground" has been a

maxim that, while not strictly true, hasbecome increasingly so. And the high-est ground (as proved by the EEC's"rocking" of Colorado Springs), is, ofcourse, Up-well. Already vital to pro-vide communications and data links,surveillance, and such mundanethings as weather reports, orbitalassets are playing a larger role in themodern battlefield. Satellite-based tar-get designation has been experiment-ed with; but more frightening, is that,for the first time, BattleSat-basedweaponry is capable of hitting groundtargets. Fortunately, these kinetic-killweapons are expensive, still not

incredibly accurate without grounddesignation (usually within about 5meters), and not to be used lightly, forpolitical reasons—but the threat isthere. We can probably count onorbital strikes being called downagainst tactical (as opposed to strate-gic) targets within the next ten years.

Autonomous Drones and RemotePiloted Vehicles (ADs and RPVsrespectively), are starting to becomeincreasingly common on the battlefield.Both are (relatively) cheap force multi-pliers; a single pilot can control a num-ber of semi-autonomous remotes, anddrones require only rudimentary com-mand. Of course, both have their weak-nesses. Remotes tend to see more useas reconnaissance or surveillanceunits, rather than combat units; theexpert systems that control them arestill not that bright, and outwitting themis not very difficult. RPVs are used forboth surveillance and attack, but arehighly reliant on continuous communi-cation links. As drones become moreintelligent, we will see more use ofthem as combat units (see AVD:Militech's robot flyer, pg 20 for more).

Originally used strictly for SpecialOperations Units, and still expensive,powered armor is beginning tobecome more common as the pricedrops and the technology becomesmore proven. Powered armor is still ina nebulous world in terms of deploy-ment; some units utilize them likesmall tanks, and others like heavyshock infantry. All agree that they trulyexcel in Urban environments, wheretheir size and firepower make themperfect for supporting an infantryassault. With development of smaller,lighter suits of powered armor, we willsee it take an increasingly major roleon the battlefield, (see Viper: High TechArmor goes Mainstream, pg 22)

For many years, there was little dif-ference in how Infantry attackedthings: they used a rifle. Calibers andspecifics differed, but by the end of the20th century, you either carried aBattle rifle (chambered in 7.62mm), oran Assault rifle (chambered in a round

continued on page 23

AVD: AerodyneVehicle; DroneMilitech's robot flyer

By MICHAEL CAMERON

It screams over the treeline, railgunsand rocket pods spitting death as it hur-tles over the tank column. Two tanksmanage to fire off multi-role missiles,but chaff confounds one, while theother is destroyed by a burst of autofirefrom an AGAMs pod. The satin blackflier screams around in an impossiblytight turn, wheeling on a pillar of flame,and lets loose with a burst of anti-tankmissiles, killing the remaining tanks.Then, after a cocky victory roll, the low-slung AV screams off with accelerationthat would kill the pilot... if there wereone aboard. It leaves behind the smok-ing remains of a tank battalion, killed bya pilot sitting in a van a hundred milesaway.

Meet the AVD, Militech'snewest entry into the worldof high-tech killing machines.

Built on an AV-6 frame, the AVD(Aerodyne Vehicle; Drone) is designedas a test-bed for new countermea-sures systems (both passive, like theAVD's composite body, and active, likethe AGAMs, ECM, and flare/chaff sys-

tems), aerial weaponry, and mostimpressively, the new ROCC/AM(Remote Operation Command-Control/Auto-nomous Machine) con-trol system that allows the unit to beflown by a pilot (safely ensconcedsome distance away), or fly and fightautonomously, utilizing a powerfulexpert system.

Although using the same basicsystems as the AV-6 (including thePegasus-IV turbojet), and massing asmuch as its cousin, the frame of theAVD is much lower and sleeker as aresult of its laminated armor and thelack of a passenger/crew compart-ment Its speed is only slightly betterthan that of the AV-6, but accelerationand maneuverability are both muchhigher, as the computer doesn't haveto worry about greyouts or slammingan infantry squad around.

No expense has been spared inthe construction of the AVD; as aresult, its both better armored andarmed, including an internal missilebay, side-mounted chainguns, and aforward Rheinmetall railgun in a chinturret Militech says they like the pene-tration and accuracy of the railgun, butare dissatisfied with the maintenanceand reliability. "If the AVD actually goesinto production, we'll likely replace therailgun with a pair of 20mm autocan-nons; the cannons are less likely to

flake out", says Charles Concannon,director of the AVD project

The real stars of the AVD projectare its avionics, communications, andcomputer systems. Designed for a flex-ible blend of remote control and droneoperation as the situation requires, theAVD is equipped for control by laser-link, tight-beam (radio or microwave),or general broadcast in any of a dozenfrequencies (including cell-phone),from a ground, air, or satellite-basedcommand center.

The ROCC/AM system is designedto smoothly take over operation in thecase of a break in communications,acting more like a co-pilot than anobserver when operating in "slave"mode. While the ROCC/AM is not asintelligent as they would like, Charlesnotes "This little bugger" (patting the"heart" of the system, a black cylinder,featureless except for the i/o ports) "isa generation smarter than any dronecurrently on the market The only waywe could get it smarter is by actuallyinstalling an Al ... and we're workingon that"

So what's the catch? Well, the first,of course, is cost; the four AVD proto-types each cost over 8 million Euro(how much over, Militech won't say);nearly as much as a F-36 FireSharkinterceptor. Militech says that produc-tion costs would drop if it was built as a

mass-production unit, but "not as significantly as we'd like."Thus, these are likely to be the most expensive (planet-based) remotes in existence for some time.

There is also the ROCC/AM unit, which, while extraordi-nary in what it can do, is still restricted by processing power.While spectacular as a remote, when operating as a dronethe AVD is still burdened with a lack of tactical sense thatcan make it easy prey to an alert fighter pilot

In the end, the AVD certainly succeeds in what it wasdesigned to do: test the outer limits of remote/drone capa-bilities in a combat environment Technologies developed inthe AVD project are already being incorporated in Militech'snewest generations of drones, remotes, and manned vehi-cles.

Whether we'll ever see it on anything other than a sim-ulated battlefield remains to be seen, however.

Militech AVD; Performance StatisticsWEIGHT: loaded; 5300 kg, w/1000kg

external munitions loadunloaded; 2950 kg

SPEED: Flank; 560 kmphTop; 805 kmphAce/Dec: 12/12 kmph/second

RANGE: Max: 1300 kmloiter: 950 km

ARMOR: Composite laminate; 125mmsteel plate equiv.

ARMAMENT: Internal missile bay (960 kg weight,6 missiles standard load)

2 15mm chain guns (articulated mounts R, L)w 2 250 md box mags each

1 EMG-85 railgun in chin turretw 1000 rounds

External mounts on hard points for1200kg of munitions pods

Laser designator in chin turretDEFENSIVE: AGAMS anti-missile system (5,000 rounds)

Rare/chaff dispensers (2, 20 rounds each)Electronic-Countermeasures (classified

performance values)SENSORS: Full Audio-Visual, including low-light,

thermal, and passive IRLook-down, terrain avoidance radar

w ID and detectionLaser and microwave detection

COMMUNICATIONS: Laser commTight beam radio and microwave links

500km scrambled radioSatellite link

CONTROL: ROCC/AM control systemKTR-327 Targeting computer w rangefinders

and multi-target options

The Adventure Hooks are pretty major: A)Players are hired to steal (one of the proto-types, the plans, one of the computercores). B) Players hired to extract CharlesConcannon. C) AVD is chewing up country-side; (its gone rogue!, Netrunner is control-

ling it, Aliens have taken it over, Rache Bartmoss is joy-rid-ing, Militech can account for all four; who's is this?). D)Nomads trying to kill one that's wiping them out D Pacifisticgroup, scared at potential for "Al war", hires players todestroy all 4, and plans—without bloodshed. R Al hires play-ers to install chip in one of them...just a small little chip, it'llnever be noticed.

MILITECH AVD; Game Stats

TOP SPEED: 500 mphACC/DEC: 75/75 mph

CREW: 0RANGE: 800 milesPASSENGERS: 0

CARGO: noneMANEUVER: +3SDP: 100 (Body 5)

SP: 50 (Armor 3)Type: AV

MASS: 4 tons (without pods)COST: 9M eb without weaponry (weapon cost

varies by missile load)

Special equipment: Composite armor, flare, chaff,AGAMs, cellphone, laser communicator, military radio,scrambler, satellite uplink, robot gun controller,remote targeting, multi-targeting, Al control (16 base)cyberlinkage (for remote operation), ECM, ECCM,Audio/visual sensors (incl. low-light, image enhance,active IR, thermal, and telescopic), laser andmicrowave detectors, navigational system, Militaryradar with look-down, terrain avoidance, and ID func-tions, military radar detector.Weapons: 1 stabilized EMG-85 railguns in chin turretwith 1000 rounds and +3 targeting computer, 215mm HMGs (as 14.5 mm) in articulated mounts (1per side) w +3 targeting computers, and two sparemagazines each, 6 spaces of missiles in internal bay(normally 4 Hellfires and 2 AAMs), 8 spaces ofweapons on pod wings (normally either 2 pods of 192.75 in rockets and 4 Hellfires or 10 LATGMs and 2AAMs). Internal bay can be reconfigured to carry anytype of missile, including AAMRAMs, HATGMs andLATGMs. Rockets cannot be carried in internal bay.

Viper: High-Techarmor goesmainstreamby Danielle Ravensclaw; SGT,SFPD Max-Tac

The facility is in a secluded part of the Rockies; the road leading

up to it so badly maintained that few will venture this far. The

security is subtle, but impressive. This is one of RavenMicrocybemetics' high-tech research and testing units, and the site

where the Viper High-Threat combat suits were developed.Viper represents a new thinking in combat armor. Before this,

there were two basic types of personal armor: Body armor (non-pow-

ered, unarmed, intended for general consumption), and PA suits (heav-

ily armed and augmented, intended for limited release and use).

With MetalGear™, and assault armor, personal armor has reached

a plateau; heavier armor is so heavy and bulky as to be unusable. On

the other hand, the average PA suit is far too expensive for anything

resembling general issue; only the most elite units can field them in any

number.Viper changes that The Raven Microcyb Viper suit is a suit of

enhanced personal armor intended for fast response, special opera-

tions, and MAX-TAC units. Balancing protection and cost the Viper suit

is also light enough for all but the flimsiest structures. And I was going

to be one of the first outside of Raven Microcyb to not only see it but

actually test itAfter a quick briefing on the suits capabilities and a fitting session, it

was back to the guest quarters for a night of sleep while they adjusted

the suit to fit me.I should note that there are actually two Viper designs. The basic

design (called the Pit Viper) is an "infantry" design, designed to be easily

adapted to and used even by non-Troopers. Equipped with basic HUDand commo gear, the idea is to allow infantry to wear more armor than

could otherwise be, and move and fire heavy weaponry like the Cyborg

rifle without difficulty.The Hooded Viper, on the other hand, is intended as a

Command/Special Ops suit and is equipped with the latest in VRI, reflex,

and communications/control equipment It is also equipped for the addi-

tion of limited armament; two modular units can be attached, one on

each wrist as external mounts. There are no provisions for further mount-ing of external systems, but it didn't look like it would be hard, either.

The next day, I was fitted into the suit and allowed to play with itEven the Pit Viper suit is impressive; because the design is so spartan and

light it's more like wearing a suit of body armor than driving a PA. On the

other hand, watching AP rounds from a M-2012 H-bar splash off thechest was truly impressive; especially since I was in it at the time! Raven

dams the Viper will deflect anything lighter than 12.7mm BMG. I believe

them.The interface on the Pit Viper is strictly standard; on the other

hand, the Hooded Viper, while designed to be as user-friendly as pos-

sible, is like playing a video game; the VR Display is continuously inaction. I can see where learning to use the Hooded Viper would takesome time.

The most impressive part of the Viper system is its cost the basic

Viper comes in at a low 26,000 euro, while the Hooded Viper checks

in at 48,000eb. Amazingly low, these can be considered incredibly

expensive body armor, rather than amazingly cheap PA suits; which, of

course, is exactly how Raven Microcyb wants folks to think of them.

Although neither suit is yet on the market a limited number aregoing into action with the US military and several police departmentsfor final evaluation. Raven says that they are currently taking orders

from "authorized agencies", for delivery within the next nine months.

Me, I'm hoping the SFPD orders some of these. While they are noreplacement for a real PA suit, they go a long way towards evening the

odds for the Max-Tac boys who don't get to Trooper for real.

Pit ViperStrength Tough Dam SP DFB SJB_

16 -5 D6+2 30 +2 0

SEE lift cany weight cost0 500 240 350 26,000eb

Features: Military radio w/ scrambler, BodyweightTM automed, full HUD

Wideband, advanced control. Onboard sensors include Lowlight IR, Anti-

Dazzle, and Image Enhance; Full audio plus Amplified hearing and leveldamper, internal life support for 1 hour plus filtration; battery enduranceis 24 hours.

Hooded ViperStrength Tough Dam SP DFB SIB

16 -5 D6+2 30 +3 +3REF lift carry weight cost+2 500 240 350 48,000ebFeatures: as above, plus Sat uplink, and Laser communicator, Remote tar-

geting link, two EMP Sponges, VR Interface, High Boost and C3 unit

Onboard sensors, as above, plus Teleoptics and Thermal Imaging. There isa housing for a single 1 /2 space externally-mounted weapon or device on

each wrist; this is usually a 1-handed combat blade and a 14mm pistol (this

costs an additional 3500eb).Easiest to retrofit onto the Viper suit are devices like tool suites, fire

extinguishers, and utility packs. Weapons are the hardest, because the armoris not equipped with the various brackets, mounts, and surface connectors,

all externally-mounted equipment (other than the two allowed for in the

Hooded Viper) cost half again as much to mount, and weight 1.25 times asmuch. Weapons cost twice as much, and weigh half again as much.

Game Note: Although these suits use the older Linear Frame stats, they use thenew CCPL muscles (Chromebook 3, pg. 107), the leading edge of design tech.Raven's profit margin on these is relatively low; they're relying on sales to policeagencies and other groups that can't afford enough PAs to be worth while, but canafford to outfit a couple of squads with Viper suits. There is also the repairs/spareparts market to look at; since folks are likely to use big weapons on these, theyare going to need fixing a lot See also Maximum Metal.

continued from page 19somewhere around 5.5-6mm).Evolutions and revolutions in personalweapon technology have started tochange this. Weapons like the ramjetrifle, liquid-propellant rifles, elec-trothermally-enhanced weapons, andlinear accelerators (rail/coil guns) dras-tically increase the amount of damagethe average soldier can dish out, whilesmart gun arrays, genius weapons,and easy laser-designation make hitsmore likely.

At the same time, personal protec-tions are also becoming moreadvanced. Improved ceramic and lam-inate armours allow individuals to wearas much protection as some light vehi-cles, while exotic systems like theBACL Reactive Body Armour, IR shield-ing, and stealth systems all increasethe chances that a soldier is going tolive to come home.

Medical technology has also madeleaps forward, greatly increasing thechances that a wounded soldier willsurvive. Most wounded soldiers deliv-ered to an aid station within the "gold-en hour" are likely to recover; in worstcase scenarios, the patient is slappedinto a cryotank, shipped to a hospitaland operated on there. This, combinedwith refinements in nanotech healingprocesses, is starting to make any hityou survive initially, a survivable one.The increased healing speeds affordedby Nanotech also decrease theamount of time a soldier is spending inrecovery to days instead of weeks.What affect this may be having on thepsyche of the soldiers involved is asyet unknown, but is something to bewatched closely.

Cybernetics, in addition to restor-ing to full efficiency a soldier whom ahalf-century ago would have beencashiered, are seeing more use as"standard options"; most Corporatesoldiers have at least an interface andplugs, and many have cyberoptics.Some smaller militaries (like theBritish) are equipping their soldierswith various biotech augmentations asa matter of course; as the prices drop,this is becoming more common.

Cybernetically-augmented soldiers arebecoming the norm; augmentation iseven part of some military contracts.Extensively enhanced "CyberSoldiers"once the province of SpecialOperations, are starting to appear inline units, and more Full-ConversionCyborgs are being introduced as thetechnology is proven.

TOMORROW'SINFANTRY-

MAN'S MAINWEAPON WILL

BE A SELF-TARGETING

3MM RAILGUN...

The Edge offTomorrowSo now that we've seen where we'vebeen and where we are, where are wegoing? Let's take a theoretical look ata soldier from the year 2050, extrapo-lating from where we are.

John Davies is an infantryman,with over a year of training beforeassignment to a combat unit. Hisarmor is a suit of myomer-assistedlaminate armor that can stop mostanti-personnel weapons in use; ofcourse, anti-vehicle weapons or adirect hit from a railgun will kill him.The armor is light enough to be usedwith difficulty if the power is knockedout, and flexible enough to performgymnastics in.

John's primary weapon is a self-targeting 3mm railgun. His back-up isa dual purpose pistol with a 4.3mmhyper-velocity ET barrel, and a 15mmlauncher that fires "genius bullets" that

home in on body heat or radar images.On his back is a 4-cell multi-role mis-sile launcher over the right shoulder,power supply and spare ammo for hisweapons, and, over the left shoulder, aself-targeting pulse laser that servesboth as weapon and anti-missile sys-tem.

His helmet is filled with sensors:low-lite, milliwave radar, image magni-fication, edge-sensing Ladar, thermal,computer-enhanced threat recogni-tion and identification, MRI. you nameit, it's probably available. His HUDautomatically filters this flood of infor-mation to what he needs; the rest issynthesized into a continually updatedbattlefield database, allowing the suit'stactical Al to not only give John accu-rate advice, but also to relay neededinformation to his squad mates or cen-tral command. Commo systems, ECM,ECCM, "ghost suit", and stealth sys-tems are all controlled by the Al, as arethe suit's three combat and recondrones, although the latter are capableof independent operations.

John's cyberware is relatively sub-tle: He has an interface computer,advanced skin/bone/muscle weave,and is host to a Nanofac capable ofsynthesizing Healer or Defensenanites as needed. Under the armorhe wears a carbon/boron-mesh bodysuit that will resist penetration by frag-ments and bullets; a small survival kitcarried has rations, a water filter,monoknife, and spare gun (since, evenwith his nanoaugmentation, either ofhis suit's weapons would shatter hisarm if he fired them).

Dropped by capsule from orbit, orbrought in by hyper.-velocity transport,Private John Davies is ready for com-bat on the battlefield of tomorrow. Thattomorrow will be sooner than weexpect

Lieutenant-Colonel Fiona O'Shaugnesseywas a member of the British Army untilthe rise of the MLA, when she fled witha sizable bounty on her head for hercondemnation of them. Since then shehas worked as a mercenary, and as atactical and technical advisor for SOF.

THE FUTURE OF FORCESo WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?

For the independent entrepreneur(read Edgerunner or Mercenary),times have never been better for

getting involved in the Wages of War.As war has increasingly become agame played by more than just gov-ernments, the job opportunities haveskyrocketed.

The most obvious jobs, of course,are for Solos and Jockeys. Mercenaryunits are forming all over the world,and many smaller governments willpay good money for "foreign tacticaladvisors." Even the major organizationswill pay for mercenary teams on a not-infrequent basis, usually for Covert orClandestine missions. Prowlers makean excellent addition to any Mercteam, both as B&E men and as scout-snipers.

But the jobs don't end there.Netrunners and Techies can be hiredto provide support for ClandestineOps (which frequently have specialequipment needs, and always requireNet coverage to erase footprints of theelectronic kind). Any Merc unit willneed MedTechie support; wherethey're often fighting, Trauma Teamdoesn't go. Corp Liaisons, Rockerboysto drum up popular support for a rev-olution, Fixers for local contacts; etc.are all needed.

Nor are all jobs directly related toactive combat. In the modern style ofwarfare, Edgerunner missions can fre-quently be an adjunct of a militaryoperation, and these will (increasingly)be farmed out to a private ClandestineOps unit (read, team of Edgerunners),rather than be undertaken by a teamof Special Forces (who may well be ofmore use elsewhere).

The reason for this is subtlety.Military units, even Special Forces, areused to fairly liberal Rules ofEngagement, and will tend to ignore

restrictions when the ball drops.Edgerunners, on the other hand,understand that their pay is directlytied to performance; they will do thejob the way the buyer wants.

Even in support roles, the amountof money flowing out of the ArmedForces is increasing. With computer-ized requisitions and inventory comesrestrictions on what you can get.Sometimes, this means not gettingwhat you need, or getting somethingyou don't want. A smart Fixer with mil-itary contacts can make a killing bytrading or buying what a local COGcommander has surplus of, and pro-viding him the tools he needs (butcan't get). And all without resorting totheft of government property (which isa major source of heavy weapons onthe Street, as RPGs, grenade launch-ers, and MGs "disappear" from militaryarmories).

Fixers and Corps can also act as"brokers", offering the special servicesof mercenary teams they hold onretainer to the highest bidder (taking acut of course). Some Corps have got-ten quite wealthy doing this.

Civilian Netrunners often act as"advisors", or trainers for Military'Runners, and Civilian Techies can beinvolved with the training for, andrepair of, classified projects.

There is a down side, of course.Like never before, the Armed Forcescan put a major crimp in the style ofEdgerunners. Trained and ready tofight in urban environments, and insmaller sizes than before, a trainedMarine rifle squad can take on a smallboostergang with the right information.Governments are much more likely torely on military forces for defensiveduties than before (because they areboth cheaper and more reliable thanhiring Corporate contractors), which

means that performing an extractionor theft on a Government facility canbe tricky indeed. Corporate forces areeasier, but by no means easy, andthere is always the risk the Corp hashired mercenaries (like, say, Lazarus),to defend their property.

It cannot be stressed enough thatmilitary forces are not something to belaughed at; they are well armed,trained, and, more importantly, sup-ported. The average soldier is not asgood a combatant as the averageSolo, but you won't encounter theaverage soldier alone. He's part of asquad, and even if you kill him, youhave to deal with his nine chums. Andit's likely that three of them are goingto see you kill the blighter. So bewarned.

Move over Bianchi and Hague! Techtronica s Scongrips use pressure-sensitivemolecular memory to truly individualize your weapon. Once the grips ore pro-grammed and installed, grasp the weapon: the pressure-activated, memory-plastic grips mold themselves to your hand for perfect ergonomics. Theyscan your fingerprints to disengage the lock on the firing mechanism, and activate any electronic sighting systems mounted on the weapon. The onlything they don't do is shoot the bod guys for you!

THINK-BOOM RADIO DETONATING SIGNALERS 1 OOEB PER SIGNALThink-Booms are a handy device for the solo with his hands full. The device sends out a signal like other remote controllers. The specialty of this modelis that it plugs into any interface socket and can be triggered with a mental command! The device looks like a large coin, approximately an inch indiameter, with a plug jutting from one side. Since it lays flat while plugged in, it can be worn under clothing for maximum concealment. Up to threesignals may be programmed (allowing three different activations). The Think-Boom can be used with any device rigged to receive such a signal; itdoes not have to be a detonation device. Range is only 100m unless the user has an unobstructed view, which allows up to 200m range. Signal fre-quencies come pre-set by the manufacturer. Characters with Radio Splice for their cyberaudio may have a variant installed internally that will send asignal as far as their splice will reach. Up to two signals for SOOeb.

CYBERWARRIOR — WHEN GUNS ARE NOT ENOUGHStore Hours: M-F 0900-0900 • S-S 0900-2300 All items available at any of our 2500 outlets world-wide.

Check your local database for the location nearest you! Delivery 7 days a weekl

Pick 'em up, pick 'em out...pick 'em off.You're caught in an op gone bad; it's practically raining boosterboys and you'refresh out of backup. But you're not worried—as quickly as the enemy enters -the crosshairs in your 'optic, your cyberarm jumps into action! Ifs almost tooeasy—all you have to do is look and D/Tek instantly acquires, tracks andshoots. Give your smartgunning hand a mind of its own. Get D/Tek.Attention: D/Tek is an after-market package which requires the presence of thefollowing cybernetics to function: Neural Processor with Smartgun Link, InterfacePlugs, Cyberoptic with Targeting Scope option, Cyberarm with Hand. (5350eb;HC=6D6+4). D/Tek uses a gyro-compensation system installed in the cyberarm(taking 1 space) and a logic coprocessor wired into the user's neurakvare; D/Tekmay be purchased as a complete package (includes all requisite cyberware) fromCybermatrix for 6,000eb (CR Surgery, HO5D6+3 total).Game Notes: Basic Network: HC=1D6+3, Surgery: M. D/Tek allows the user to ignore neg-ative modifiers from Moving Targets REF>X, Firing While Running, and FiringShoulder Arm From Hip. It can be disconcerting the first few times ifs used, but you'll"

CYBERWARE & NEWTECH FOR THE PROFESSIONAL

LESSONSLEARNED ANDBRIDGES BURNED;ON THE ROAD WITHC.J. O'REILLY

I shoulda listened to Clyde O'ReillySr, my dear, departed pappy, whenhe told me, "Never go anywhere

you can't buy a good, cold beer forless than what you'd pay a local hook-er." Sheesh, truer words were neversaid. But there I was in a tropical hell-hole where the air was so damp myteeth were rusting.

How'd it happen, ya ask?

Don't ask.Okay, I'll tell ya.yeah, I knew the job was bad news

when I took it. The invitation was drip-ping sweat as I pulled it out of theenvelope. Come down and do somework for the government of (name ofcountry deleted for legal reasons —Editor), it said. Be our guest. Stay at thelavish Hotel (name of hotel deletedfor legal reasons —Editor) in our cap-ital city as our guest Enclosed was around trip ticket on the national airline.My second warning should have beenthat the ticket said: "Warning, depar-ture time subject to change based onavailability of aircraft." If you've neverflown internationally, I'll clue you in onsomething—it doesn't say that onOrbital Air tickets. But I was short ofcash, and short of work, so what couldI do? I swindled SOF into paying me afew bucks for a post-trip write-up,packed my passport and hardwareinto a courier bag, and caught a cabfor the airport.

The first really ominous rumblingscame when I got to the airport andsaw the airplane, which, as my notori-ously rotten luck would have it, wasavailable. Two hours later (it took them

AFTER A HAIR-

RAISING DESCENT

THROUGH A THUN-

DERSTORM, WE MET

THE GROUND SOME-

W H E R E IN THE

VICINITY OF THE

CAPITAL.

that long to get both engines started)we're grinding along at the spectacularaltitude of eight-thousand feet in aWorld War II era DC-3 that shook sohard I learned how to do the mambo inthe time it took me to walk down theaisle to the flush-into-the-air bathroom.I pity anyone who was standing belowus, because I don't even take to goodair travel well. About an hour into theflight the stewardess, who looks likemy mother (who's dead), comes byand offers me a drink She didn't takeit well when I asked her if we were

A SOLO OFFORTUNE SPECIALREPORT

FROM SOUTHAMERICA^

going to land at the capital, or para-chute in (snort). The drink turned outto be a glass of Fibuto, which is a toxiccreation distilled from the Gualpa fruit,the only edible vegetable indigenousto my destination, and one of thecountry's two exports (the other one isgarnet paper). I had one sip and spentthe next ten minutes alternately hallu-cinating and throwing-up while Ipicked cockroach legs out frombetween my teeth with the pin on theback of the plastic Junior Pilot flightbadge I found in the seat-back pocketin front of me.

Eventually, after a hair-raisingdescent through a whopping thunder-storm, we met the ground in a semi-controlled fashion somewhere in thevicinity of the capital. Imagine my sur-prise when the rustic farm I thought wehad landed at turned out to be the air-port It was here that I had my first realcontact with the warm hospitality thatmy destination was so famous for. As Istood in the middle of the customs linesurrounded by a herd of goats thatwas being cleared by the woman infront of me, two officials in smelly,olive-greens singled me out and tookme over to a table where they mademe empty out my luggage, includingmy courier bag. Needless to say,things were looking interesting aboutthe time they got to the Malorian sec-tion of my carry-on luggage. I was justabout resigned to spending the rest ofmy life in an equatorial jail when a spit-shined lackey showed up and wavedand gesticulated wildly at my guards.For a moment I thought he was argu-ing that I be shot on the spot. It turnedout that he was driver. I thought I wassafe.

Wrong.If anything, the drive into the town

was worse than the flight, it wouldn'thave been so bad if the driver hadn'taccepted a case of Fibuto in return forallowing the goat lady and her bleatingsquadron to share the car with us onthe way back. He drank two bottlesbefore we left.

Twenty dirt-encrusted minuteslater I was escorted into the offices of

the local police Commandante, whogreeted me warmly with...a glass ofwarm Fibuto! Imagine my ecstasy...The Commandante was a truly loath-some character, with cracked aviatorshades, and a sweaty shirt that rode upover a large, moist, spreading gut dim-pled by a navel so deep and wet that Icould have dropped a lobster trap intoit and probably come up with a prettygood catch. He laughed and gesticu-lated, and explained that the problemwas a revolt of the workers at the localgarnet mines. This was the sad campwhere they mine the garnets for thegarnet paper that accounts for 90% ofa gross domestic product smaller thanmy monthly SOF retainer (which ain'tmuch). Of course the tragic economyisn't helped by the fact that the gov-ernment, by order of El Presidente,was printing off new Dugals, the localcurrency, so fast that ink futures were

on the rise the world over. ElCommandante cheerfully informed methat, in return for putting down theworker uprising, my pay would betwelve billion Dugals. I did some quickmath and realized that impressivenumber equaled about $16 euro, andwith inflation, would probably equaleighty cents by that night. Uh-uh I said.Pay me in Euro or put me back on theplane. Then I remembered the planeride, recanted, and said pay in euro orput me on a boat. Much haggling later,the fee was agreed upon and I set outfor the hotel. That was my next mis-take.

The Hotel was without a doubt theworst semi-enclosed structure I haveever had the displeasure to set footwithin in the forty-three long years ofmy existence. The concierge handedme my key, but it turned out not to benecessary as the wood around the

Playing inSouthAmerica

Running games in South

America is all about atmosphere.

Think, hot, sweaty, and poor. The

vast slums of Rio. The steamy

climes of Venezuela. The danger-

charged worlds of the Colombian

and Peruvian drug lords. In 2020,

most South American countries

are brutal police states with a

very few, very rich people and a

great many poor people. Solos

will be working in a shadowy

world of illegal coups, govern-

ment overthrows, rebellions and

insurrections, terrorist organiza-

tions such as Sendero Luminoso,

and smuggling. All deals are sus-

pect, and the local currency is

never any good. Many of the lux-

uries and supplies that European,

American, and Japanese solos

take for granted will be rare, and

very expensive.

door to my room was so rotted that itgave way when I leaned my bagsagainst it. The room itself was a cubi-cle about twelve feet on a side with abed, a sink, a table, and a three-wattincandescent bulb that hung from afrayed cable over the bed like an elec-trified Sword of Damocles. Of course,there was no danger of a fire if it fell,since the bed was so thoroughlysoaked with moisture that I momentar-ily thought they had drawn a refreshingbath for me. When I drew back thesheet, a cockroach the size of a cock-er spaniel scurried across the mat-tress, then suddenly took flight. Luckilyfor me, it settled on the cord for thelight bulb and was immediately elec-trocuted. The charred, smoking hulkfloated down to the bed, where ithissed out in the water and filled theentire room with the smell of burned,quenched cockroach. I decided tosleep on the floor. Then I looked at thefloor and decided to sleep in the bath-room. So I went into the bathroom.

It was in the bathroom that Ilearned one of the great truths of thiscountry. The residents are much moreclever than they seem, and have comeup with an ingenious solution to solveseveral of their problems at once. First,the combination of Fibuto and badwater has given everyone in the coun-try diarrhea. Not having a strongenough economy to import toiletpaper, and not wanting to use leaves,since local plants tend to be infestedwith deadly species of spider who'sname (I understand) translates as "ass-biter surprise," a certain amount of thegarnet paper produced is redirectedinto the local toilet-paper industry.Unfortunately, as near as I could tell, itwas redirected after the garnets areinserted. But, in order to consolidatethe national industry, and deal with theruinous rate of inflation, new Dugalnotes are printed directly onto the toi-let paper. And furthermore, in order todeal with inflation, the notes are print-ed in sequentially increasing denomi-nations! My roll started with a 1000Dugal note and ended with an impres-sively ornate 500 Million Dugal note. I

have since learned that the toilet-paper bank notes are carefully cali-brated to the changes in food andFibuto quality so that as you use toiletpaper, the denominations on the billsgo up in direct accordance with therate of inflation! Sheer genius, really.Of course, I had learned on the wayback from the airport that it doesn'tmake any difference, since Fibuto isthe operating currency.

Since I could read the writing onthe wall, I decided to refund theCommandante his money and get thehell out of there. I picked up the phoneand my light bulb exploded. So Ipacked up my bags, crept out into thestreet, and chartered a ride down tothe river, where I bartered my wayonto a local tramp steamer headed forCaracas, Venezuela with a load of gar-net paper and export-bottled Fibutomarked for Lesotho, the only Fibutoexport market in the world. Forty-eighthours later, I was back in semi-civiliza-tion, with forty mosquito bites to serveas reminders of my brief stay in (coun-try deleted again —Editor). If you'reever down that way, stop by at theHotel (name deleted again—editor).Order up a Fibuto...ho\d the ice. Tell'em I sent you. Then duck.

-C.J. O'Reilly.P.S.: My editor tells me that legal fees

for this trip are being deducted from mypaycheck for this article. I'm sending him acase of Fibuto. Cheers. CJO.

Bringing you the exoticin personal protection

Midnight Urns has become the exclusive dealer in the Free State of California for suchrespected firms as Mystic Technologies and Pursuit Security Inc. MO also has the edged weapon

artistry of Hendachi at below factory-dealer cost!Mystic Technologies Nunchaku/Blade 200ebConcealment, accuracy, and damage as per Nunchaku & Sword in CP2020.Mystic Tech continues to amaze with its innovative melee weapon systems. This weapon is 2' long staff with an extendibleblade at one end. The blade is 1' long and inflicts 1D6+1 points of damage (2D6+1 if used 2-handed). When a release button ispressed the staff splits and forms a pair of nunchaku. Note: you cannot use the nunchaku function if the blade is extended!

Kendachi Monosword Cane 255ebMEL • +1 • L • P • 3D6 • NA • NA • VR • 1m

The element of surprise is yours with the monoblade hidden within this rich, syntheticmahogany-finished walking cane. Twist the handle to the left, and a lock will release

the 55cm blade.Note: This weapon will shatter with a 4- on a D10 if fumbled or parry-

ing. Otherwise it is consistent with all other rules governingmonoweapons (CP2020, pg.112).

Lydiasays:

"I shopMidnightArms for

all myclose-

combatneeds."

Ninja Smoke Pellet 25eb/5 pelletsJust pop one of these on the ground and vanish from

your foe's sight. Flash powder that explodes on impact.Perfect for fleeing boosters or getting an advantage

over more powerful adversaries. Just pray he/shedoesn't have IR in his optics. A package con-tains five pellets.

Game Note: Target is temporarily distractedand loses his/her next action. A Stealth roll

is permitted to the pellet user to escapethe area.

Stundart Shotgun Shell20eb (per pack of

four)Improved product design from

Pursuit Security Inc. A Stundart roundthat can be fired from any shotgun or 25mm mini-

grenade launcher up to 100m. Its larger capacitor results ina -2 to Stun saves, and soft armor up to 10SP can be penetrated.

MIDNIGHT ARMS, Night City Net, Midnite @ PacCom 225.347. Modem for our catalog.

By the staff,with Delbert "Bubba"Reyes and J.T.Cooper.

It was a very pleasant, mid-Autumnmorning around the SOF officeswhen some wag pointed out that the

closet where we store our complimen-tary review-copies of weapons was get-ting full, and people were having a hardtime making it to the secret beer locker.Bowing to the inevitable, I had an internload everything into the back of thecompany truck while I rounded up resi-dent SOF firearms experts, Bubba andJ.T. Ten minutes later, we were on ourway up to Anderson Quarry. On the way

we stopped,as always, for a greasy

breakfast at Moseley's diner. One guesswho ended up with the check. It was abeautiful day for shooting: partly cloudy,and the glare was negligible. Only thelightest breeze rippled through thequarry, and the dust stayed on theground.

Bread AndButterThe first weapon out of the box, by

unanimous decision, was thenew Heckler and Koch 77UK

assault rifle, a deal at 750eb. This is thelatest creation from H-K's prestigiousBritish subsidiary; probably the lastBritish company doing good exportbusiness. The HK 77UK is a light.

bullpup carbine designed for mobileinfantry and airborne units. It comesstandard with a collapsible stock, and iscleverly balanced and stabilized foraccurate firing under shaky conditions.About 60% of the HK 77UK is fash-ioned from advanced composites, butit retains some metal parts for ease ofmanufacturing and repair. The HK77UK is also a modular system, with awide range of easily interchangeableparts, including scopes and opticalsights, barrel attachments including avery well-designed sound/recoil sup-pressor, and various barrel and stockconfigurations.

Everyone expected the HK 77UKto be a dream to fire, and we weren'tdisappointed. J.T. fired two magazinesfrom bench rest at the 400 meter line,and was consistently able to keep hisgroups within four inches using thebasic optical sight. With the iron sights

he was only slightly less accurate, firingseven inch groups. Since the HK 77UKis a light weapon, Bubba decided totake it through the combat-pistol range.This is a little something that the boysset up last month. There are five stationswith multiple targets set up in variouspatterns at between five and fiftymeters. The point is to sprint betweenthe stations and get as many targets inas short a time as possible. The courseis for testing pistols and submachine-guns, but the HK 77UK's light weight,small size, suppressed recoil, and cleverstabilizing system make it a surprisinglygood performer in these kinds ofmobile, snap-shooting conditions. Itporting system virtually eliminates muz-zle climb, even when firing full-auto fromthe hip.

The HK 77UK is a very well though-out weapon, but it is not perfect First,the magazine capacity is surprisinglylow for a caseless system. There seemsto be a lot of wasted space in the mag-azines. A little work could easily doublethe magazine capacity from thirty to

sixty. Bubba and J.T. both expect third-party companies to begin producinghigh-capacity magazines for the HK77UK. The other problem is that H-K isusing a non-standard caliber. The com-mon caseless rounds are 4.5mm and6.5mm. The 9mm caseless packs agood wallop, but could be hard to gethold of in remote locations. At 750eb,though, its a heck of a weapon. If youcan stockpile the pricey ammo, and youwant to carry the best into a mobilecombat or recon situation, you couldn'tdo much better than the HK 77UK

The HK 77UK wasn't the only cher-ry of the group. The other weaponeveryone was itching to try wasArasaka's latest offering for the priceysniping market. The WSSA "SniperSystem" is designed for urban, corpo-rate deployment It fires a very light,3.5mm hypervelocity flechette thatactually rides a 6.5mm sabot down thebarrel. The weapon weighs in at a com-fortable 3.8kg with a forty-round maga-zine, and comes standard with a niftyZeiss 12-power enhanced sight and

smart-chipping. The light weight makesthe weapon a infiltrator's dream.

With J.T. on the spotting scope,Bubba lined up on the 400 meter rangeand took shots prone, at bench rest, andstanding. Accuracy in good conditionsis outstanding. At bench, Bubba drewtwo-inch groups with consistency.Anyone who has spent time in the bushknows that a sniper can't always bechoosy about firing location, but thelight recoil and light weight make theWSSA a good choice for situationswhere you can't rest the weapon, orshoot prone.

Curious about the stopping powerof such a light projectile, J.T. arrangedseveral watermelons in the quarry, andwe set about making melon balls.Against a soft target, the 3.5mm hyper-velocity flechette is surprisingly effec-tive, easily carrying enough energy toshatter a melon completely. While itdoesn't have the raw splattering powerof 8mm long, or some other popularsniping rounds, it can definitely providea nasty surprise for your enemies.

There are some problems with such alight load, however. Penetration againsthardened targets is very poor. Even athypervelocity, the projectile is simplytoo light to penetrate anything butcloth-based armors. Furthermore, theWSSA is ill-suited for situations whereyou are shooting through foliage, glass,or walls. The light projectiles simplydeflect too much to make preciseshooting through obstructions possi-ble. At long ranges, the 3.5mmflechette is also susceptible to winddeflections, and snipers will want toavoid severe cross-winds at anythingother than moderate ranges, even withthe programmable sight That is a seri-ous flaw in the basic design, especiallyconsidering how impressed the guyswere with the overall engineering andfeel of the WSSA. Both Bubba and J.T.suggested redesigning the platform tosupport 6.5mm caseless or 8mm long.Nonetheless, as a medium rangeassassination weapon for soft targets,Bubba and J.T. give the WSSA very highmarks, even at 2400eb.

The Perils OffPrecision

The high-tech weapons firm ofMustang Arms has a couple ofnew offerings, and we happened

to have them along for the outing.Bubba was excited about the new Mark2 11 mm pistol, because, as he says, "it'sgettin' harder to find a good, old-fash-ioned slug-thrower? Unfortunately, hewas soon disappointed by the 425ebpistol. Mustang is a new firm in NightCity, and they use the latest in comput-er-aided design/manufacturing, thatenables them to develop weapons withamazingly tight tolerances and designspecs. Unfortunately, advanced materi-als still haven't caught up with thedesign techniques, and Mustang hashamstrung itself with some fatal flaws.The Mark 2 is beautifully built, with a 12-round standard magazine, 6.5 inch bar-rel, and standard porting. Bubba andJ.T. both complimented the excellentfeel of the weapon.

Unfortunately, the tolerances of themoving parts are so fine, that there is nomargin for error. What this means is thatthe weapon fires beautifully until it: a)gets any dirt at all in the action, b) over-heats, c) is dropped on a hard surface.Then it tends to lock-up completely, andmust be completely stripped, cleaned,and re-assembled before it will fireagain. So, while it might be a greatweapon for target-shooting in an air-conditioned range, Bubba and J.T. bothnixed it for combat situations. J.T. wasparticularly surprised to see that theMark 2 is finding some favor with police.He suggested that there are going to besome surprised cops next time theyhave a firefight in a dusty or wet situa-tion.

Mustang partially redeemed itselfwith the Close-Control 20, a finely builtshotgun for urban, house-to-house, andriot situations. It fires versatile loads,including non-lethal rounds and slugs.The only negative comment was fromBubba, who thinks that any combat shot-gun under 10 gauge is a waste of time.

Arasaka WSSA Sniper System

RIF • +5 (with smartrig) * N * P • 4D6 (3.5mm FF) • 40 • 2 • VR • 600m • 2400eb

Designed for urban-deployed corporate enforcement teams, the heavy-barreled, semi-auto Arasaka WSSA hasa 40-round helical mag of saboted 3.5mm Frag-Flechettes (see Kendachi Frag Flechettes, Chrome 2, pg.46),and is equipped with a silencer, flash suppressor and a Zeiss 12x scope with computer-enhanced laser sight-Ing. This system already includes smartchipping, and a whole lot more (+2 to Awareness, night vision, andrangefinding). With a loaded weight of 3.8kg, this is becoming a very popular sniper weapon.

The LatestFrom IMIOne group that has never suf-

fered from over-engineering isIsraeli Military Industries, mak-

ers of such legendary weapons as theUZI and the Galil. IMI is back with twonew systems: the Gamad light pistoland the Gamdaii dual-purpose subma-chinegun. IMI has a tradition of inde-structible weapons that will work underany circumstances. As J.T. points out,they were developed to be serviceablein desert combat situations with a mini-mum of maintenance, you could fill thereceiver of an Uzi with toothpaste andstill be confident that you were going tohave trouble-free operation. The pointisn't that you don't have to clean ormaintain your weapon; it's that yourweapons will continue to work reliablyuntil you have time to clean them.

The Gamad and the Gamdaii wereboth developed with that philosophy inmind. The 575eb Gamad is a light pistoldesigned to give Mossad agents a con-cealable punch. Gamad means "dwarf'in Hebrew. The punch is anything butmidget-like, though. The 10mm case-less rounds pack a hefty impact, andthe Gamad will keep seven in the boxand one up the pipe. That's a goodcomplement for such a small package,especially if it's hidden away as a back-up. If seven rounds isn't enough, a 15round extended magazine is available,but it is a little clumsy, and destroys theweapon's main advantage—it's conceal-ability.

J.T. decided to see if IMI was up toits usual standards. He emptied a sodaover the Gamad and buried it in thesand for ten minutes. Then he exhumedit and took it through the combat pistolrange. Not one jam in four magazines,and the 10mm bullet made short workof some old bowling pins. J.Ts onlycomplaint was that the small size andlight weight make one-handed controldifficult

The 950eb Gamdaii is the Gamad'sbig brother: a 10mm submachinegunover/undered with a compact 25mm

Mustang Anns "Mark II"P• +1 •J/L• C • 306(11 mm) • 12/20• 3 •VR• 50m •425eb

The Mark II is a powerful autoloader machined to very close tolerances. Usingthe latest computer-aided design techniques, the Mark II is ergonomically andtechnically advanced. It sports a 6.5-inch barrel with a ported compensator,but its most unusual feature is the magazine: although a standard 12-roundclip is available, each Mark II comes with a 20-round "banana" mag. Thishandgun is popular with many police units for its "staying power"—that is tosay, magazine capacity. Patrol officers commonly cany five twelve-round mag-azines of 11 mm AP, plus one up the spout; the banana dip is normally usedby SWAT, entry teams, and military special-ops units.

Mustang Arms Close-Control 2OSHG• -1 • N • P • 3D6 (20-Gauge) • 15 • 2 • STD• 50m • 350eb

This utilitarian shotgun comes from the Night City-based firm Mustang Arms.Composed of lightweight composite materials, the C-C 20 is designed as areliable antipersonnel weapon which won't devastate an enclosed area. TheClose Control 20 is a semiauto 20-Gauge bullpup, loading buckshot, slugs,anti-riot baton rounds, or flechette shells. Its clear-plastic box magazine holds15 rounds, and the entire weapon is only 26 inches in length.

/10 gauge shotgun combo. TheGamdaii takes two magazines at once,allowing two kinds of ammo to beselected from at any moment. In classicIsraeli fashion, the dual 35 round mag-azines go through the pistol-grip for bal-ance, and to leave room in front of thetrigger-guard for the short-barreledgrenade launcher/shotgun. Unfor-

tunately, that makes the pistol grip just alittle too thick for comfort, unless youhave really big hands. The Gamdaii istotally ambidextrous, and generallypleasant to fire. There are some prob-lems with the grenade launcher, howev-er. The extremely short barrel lengthforces you to use special, expensive,low-velocity grenades. Accuracy suf-

fers, as a result, and J.I was only able tocome within about ten feet of a target atfifty-meters. With such a small explosivecharge, that can lead to problems. Ifyou use the 10-gauge sleeve adapterfor shotgun use, the short barrel createsa pattern so wide as to be uselessbeyond about 3.5 meters. Furthermore,Bubba tells me that there have beensome reports of people using theGamdaii in close-quarters combat, andthen switching to the grenade launcher,hitting an obstacle within a few feet, andkilling themselves or their buddies.Important safety note: IMI's specialgrenades do not have a safety distance!Once primed by firing, they will deto-nate as soon as they hit an object

Stand back. Nonetheless, the Gamdaiiis up to IMI's usual, excellent engineer-ing standards. A little tweaking andBubba says he would own one. J.T.thinks the whole platform is a littlegoofy.

And so ended another pleasantday up at the range. There is somegood stuff coming out, but Bubbaoffered a cautionary word. "It seemslike more and more manufacturers areputting expensive bells and whistleson their guns. Electronics. Chips.Grenade launchers. Remember, thethings that count are reliability, accura-cy, and your own marksmanship skills.Is the damnthing going

to keep working in a firefight in themiddle of a swamp?" yep. Keep it sim-ple. In combat, there's just no substi-tute.

StupidGuns

Every time we come out here,there is a box of worthless crapthat we tote along to test out, just

for fun. Here are this month's loonieritems:

continued on page 36

Bubba's Pick Off The Months

Heckler & Koch 77UK assault carbineRIF • +1 • L • P • 2D6+4 (9mmCL) • 30 3/30 • VR • 250m • 750eb(permanent supressor: 200eb; smartrig: 600eb; 45-rnd U-drum: 60eb)In use by private military units world-wide. H&K's British subsidiary has installed the latest in folding stocksand auto-stabilizers, making it more accurate than most competitors. There's a wide range of attachmentsavailable, including a 25mm GL, a full-spectrum electronic sight (for use with SmartGoggles™), and an integralsuppressor system.The 25mm GL is Militech's mini-GL (Chrome 1):MGL• I • -1 • I • L • l • C • l • Mini-gren • l • 4 • l • 2 • I • STSuppressor reduces WA to 0, cannot be heard without cyberaudio (extended hearing range).Folding stock reduces Conceal from L to J, but firing while folded is a -2 penalty.

JJ.'s Picks Off The Month:

I Ml "Gamdall"SMG • +2 • N • E • 2D6+3 (10mm Caseless) •35x2 • 25 • VR • 950ebGL • - • - • +0 • (25mm Grenade or 10ga.) • 1 •1 • STThe perfect mate for the Gamad! A dual-feed10mm caseless SMG mated to a single-shot25mm grenade launcher. Intended to supplantcurrent assault weapons for Mossad units, thisweapon system is of high quality and fine machin-ing.The gun feeds from twin magazines, allowingdifferent types of ammo to be loaded. Ammoselection is via thumb-operated lever. Like mostIMI weapons, the Gamdaii is easily modified forleft or right-handed use. The GL barrel is shorterthan most launchers; special rimmed, low-velocityrounds must be used. With the capability to load awide range of ammunition (for both SMG and GL),the Gamdaii is number one with firepower freakseverywhere.The 25mm launcher can load all of the standardtypes of ammo, but uses its own rimmed shells(these cost 50% more than normal shells). Theyhave a range of 100m. It is impossible to load nor-mal 25mm mini-grenades into the launcher. 10ga.shells can still be loaded, using a special sleeve.

I Ml Gamad It. PistolP • +0 (+1 w/lasersight) • P • E • 2D6+3 (10mmCaseless) • 7 • 2 • VR • 575ebThis stubby 10mm pistol gets its name ("Dwarf)from it's small size. First designed for Mossad, theGamad was only released onto the foreign marketin the last 3 years. The weapon comes with alasersight only, but a smartgun variant is available.This is the weapon that Mossad agents have cometo be known by. These pistols are also popular asback-up weapons. An extended 15 rnd mag is alsoavailable. (35eb, raises concealment to J).

continued from page 34

MysticTechnologiesTM

Arrow Gun

Iam suspicious of any companynamed "Mystic Technologies." I wantto kill my opponent, not dazzle him.

The MT arrow gun is an arrow-firingdevice with all of the problems of a bowand arrow, or crossbow, and none ofthe advantages. It takes one arrow at atime, and fires it with compressed air,making a loud pop. True, it can fireunder water, but I find a powerhead tobe much more effective, even though itrequires hand-to-hand combat. Thearrows are terrible on hardened targets.I suppose that the arrow gun could beused to fire at a target on the shorefrom under the water, but I don't knowhow practical that is, with refraction. Foramphibious ops, you're probably betteroff with an old Steyer AUG, firing casedrounds. The AUG can fire through abarrel full of water, and with the receiv-

er partially submerged. Arrows are forRobin Hood. Use a silenced gun, fercryin' out loud!

RIF • +1 • J(L) • C • 3D6 • 1 • 1• ST • 70rn • 1000eb

Includes a waterproof case (SP10) withslots for eight 35cm aluminum arrowswith carbo-glas broadhead blades (seeArchery rules for damage). It alsocomes with a preconfigured mountthat can accommodate most scopesand laser sights. With the collapsiblestock extended, concealment is low-ered to L Arrows are 5eb. is each.

PursuitSecurity Inc'sBeanbag Gun

then leave on the shelf when the s*" hitsthe fan. Most of these will end up unfired,in the hands of collectors or batteredwives who want to discourage abusivehusbands without killing them. Whatgood is a beanbag gun going to be whenthe full-borg comes through the wall?YOU could point it at your head and shootyourself into unconsciousness in thehopes that he leaves you for dead. Thegood news: the ammo is blister-packedand can be found on the wire spin-racks

P • -2 • J • E • Stun • 1 • 1 • ST •100eb

This compact weapon, shaped like abicycle pump, delivers a small, softbeanbag up to 10ft away at 300fps.Compressed air cartridges (good forup to 5 shots) are extra. Any area hitthat is not armored will be numbedunless a Very Difficult BOD check ismade (Endurance skill applies).

Are you kidding me? This is one ofthose items that police depart-ments buy as PR moves, and

THE STORM FROM HELL:THE GA-1112AUTOGUN

We don't review many vehicle-mount-ed weapons, and when we got ourreview unit of the Dover GA-1112 elec-tric cannon, it was billed as a "man-portable system."

yeah. RightThe GA is really a very cheap

(1,110eb) vehicle-mounted weapon.Forget man-portable. Anchor this babyto a coaxial mount or a pintle-mounton your jeep's rollbar and you will bethe boss of the beach. The GA is a twobarreled system that uses a motor-dri-ven, rotary bolt to maintain a 2500round per minute cyclic rate. It fires thebrutal 12mm CaselessLong specialtyround, and draws on a 400 rounddrum-magazine. The works weighs inat 15kg unloaded, so the only peoplewho will hump it along are full-borgs.We mounted ours to the pickup-truck's

tailgate and opened up at the back ofthe quarry. Rocks, bushes, squirrels,watermelons, birds, and terrain all dis-solved under the withering fire.

Of course, the GA has a couple ofcrippling problems. First, to save bat-tery power, the electric motor onlywinds as long as the weapon is beingfired. When you stop, so does themotor. Then, when you want to shootagain it takes about one second afteryou squeeze the trigger for the motorto wind up to speed again, and for fir-ing to begin. One second is longenough to die. The other problem isthat the 400 round drum will supportsustained fire for a grand total of tenseconds. Reloading ain't quick Takemy word for it

My suggestions for Dover: turn itinto a dedicated, vehicle-mounted sys-tem. Increase the magazine to 1200 or1600 rounds and mount it on the vehi-cle. Feed the ammo through a flexi-guide. Then, hardwire the motor to the

car battery so that, as long as the vehi-cle engine is running, the gun's bolt iscycling. That cancels the start-up time.The GA-1112 could become one of themost powerful light-vehicle mounts inyears. I'd definitely use it to discouragetailgaters. —Bubba

Dover GA-1112 AutogunHVY • +1 • N • R • 4D6+4(12mmCL) • 400 • 80 • ST •400m • 1,110eb

The GA-1112 is a "man-portable"MG chambered for 12mm caselessammunition. A double-barreledweapon, the GA-1112 feeds from aunderside-mounted drum. Weighingabout 15kg (empty), it comes with asling; an integral smartgun rig com-pensates for the hip-firing position.This weapon must be squeeze-cocked to start the motor (one com-bat round), and then it can be fired.The ultimate man-portable area-suppression weapon for cyborgs!

at discount stores, right near the comicbooks, you want non-lethal? Get a realgun and aim low.

SuranamMachinePistol

Possibly the most comical weaponthat I have ever encountered.This Korean-made disaster would

be good for stripping paint—if it weren'tfor its habit of blowing up. The SuranamMachine Pistol fires exploding .177caseless rounds, yes, that's right Anexploding varmint load. Hey, if thoseground-squirrels are really tough... Theproblem is this: the hypervelocityrounds generate a lot of chamber andbarrel heat, and although the propellantwon't cook-off, the explosive bullets will.When the explosive bullet cooks off inthe chamber, it will then ignite the case-less propellant Since the system iscaseless, and doesn't have an automat-ically-opening ejection port, the back-blast from the bullet forces the burningpropellant into the magazine, where itwill cook-off the remaining 25 to 50rounds all at once. Surprise! you wantto win a war? Airdrop a case of theseinto your enemy's camp. They'll take'em into battle, and within 24 hours90% of them won't have a right handany more. Now that's strategy.

^~J. I.

SMG • +0 • J/L • C • 1D6+4(.177) • 25/50 • 50 • UR • 50m •375eb

This Korean-made "minisub," or mini-submachinegun fires the .177-calibreexplosive caseless cartridge. It ismade of carbon-plastics, has a fold-ing wire stock, and due to the smallammo size, the magazine can hold avery large number of rounds. Thanksto a small explosive charge whichcauses high bullet expansion, theammunition is efficient, but theweapon's high rate of fire often caus-es severe overheating problems. TheSuranam is a common choice forcyberarm weapon installation.

NOVA ARMS BEATS ALLOTHERS TO THE PUNCH!!!

With the advent of the electrothermal firearms enhancementtechnology, A RETURN TO CASED AMMO has become reality!

What's that? You say the ammunition market has become too endeared of caseless ammunition?You say that no manufacturers of automatic weapons are willing to go back to the "less reliable"designs which cased ammunition requires?

Who said anything about AUTOMATIC weapons?By its very nature, the revolver MUST use cased ammunition (as rimmed cases are needed to holdthe cartridges in a revolver's cylinder). That's right—electrothermal technology has breathed NEWLIFE into the aging wheelgun! Always the MOST RELIABLE of weapons designs, the revolver onceagain earns the title of MOST POWERFUL weapon design, thanks to the wizardry of electrothermalweapon enhancement! We at Nova Arms (the #1 manufacturer of wheelguns for over 15 years)are now offering YOU Plasmatic™ revolvers—COMPLETE with electrical firing system and grip-housed power cells! Available now at Ultratech and Cyberwarrior stores near YOU!!

Nova Arms "Stallone" .357 Plasmatic™ Magnum—999eb Cheap!!!P • +1• J • P • .357/4D6 • 6 • 2 • VR • 60m

Nova Arms "Bronson" .41 Plasmatic™ Magnum-Just 1199eb!!!P • +1 • J • P • .41/5D6 • 6 • 2 • VR • 80m

Nova Arms "Eastwood" .44 Plasmatic™ Magnum-Only 1499eb!!!P • +1 • J • P • .44/6D6 • 6 • 2 • VR • 80m

Nova Arms "Arno" .454 Plasmatic™ Magnum—A STEAL at 1799eb!!!

P • +1 • J • P • .454/6D6+3 • 6 • 2 • VR • 100m

The PLASMATIC™ Age Is Now!!!Nova Arms, P.O.. Box 2112, Dept. LM314V21, Night City, NorCal, 95025.

Tel (666) 667-2147, Fax (666) 667-2148, LDL 6810.5867See the complete line of Nova Arms products at your firearms dealer today. When placing an

order: please have your Dealer use Dept. Code LM314V21.Plasmatic™ Ammunition available exclusively from Nova Arms; 75eb for SO rounds..100-shot batteries sold separately; 200eb each. Moisture-proofing and insulation extra; see your local dealer for details.

IN FocusARCHERY IN 2O2O

Eagletech Sport Bow"Wildcat" 35eb0 • N• E• 3 D 6 • 1 2 • 1 • VR 100mA simple 20-kilo pull recurvebow, cheap and popular.

I t's common knowledge that there'sno true way to silence a projectileother than to reduce it to subsonic

velocity. That's why there are no trulysilent firearms that pack enough punchto be effective in the kevlar-clad worldof the 21st century. Many profession-als are turning to an old and respectedhobby, that of archery, as an answer tothe problem.

Assassins and silent-kill solosaren't the only people taking up thisancient practice. Few realize thatBushido, the way of the warrior,requires that a bushi master the arts ofspear and bow, as well as that of thesword.

For centuries the bow has beenrelegated to obsolescence by thegun, when in actuality, bows weremore accurate, and longer rangedthan primitive firearms. It simply did-n't take as long to train a soldier touse a firearm as it did to masterarchery.

Thanks to a combination of 20thcentury advancements in bow designand 21st century materials construc-tion techniques, the bow is back, andbetter than ever!

Modern bows come in two types:self bows, where the bow string ispulled back and held until firing, andcrossbows, where the string is heldmechanically until firing. Self bowshave two sub-categories, recurvebows being simple constructs with thearms of the bow bent against the drawangle, and compound bows, whichuse a pulley-tension system to lessenthe actual energy needed to pull andhold the string.

Self-BowsThese are bows that are drawn, held,and fired with a straight pull, ratherthan being cross-bows. There are quitea few bows from different companiesavailable; the bows below are simplyrepresentative of the different types.

Eagletech "Tomcat"C-Bow 150eb0 • N • C • 4 D 6 • 1 2 • 1 •VR •150mA more expensive, gyro-stabilizedcompound bow with a 40-kilopull (stepped down to 20 kilos).

Eagletech "Tfgercaf •C-Bow 500eb+1 • N • P • 6D6 • 12 • 1 •VR •150mA professional's compound bow,pulling 60 kilos (stepped down to30). Comes complete with com-puterized sight and gyro-stabiliza-tion.

Eagletech "Bearcat"Self Bow 500eb+1 • N • P • 6D6 • 12 •1 •VR •150mA recurve made out of maximum-strength composites, with all thepower of a normal 60-kilo bow. Itcan be taken apart into two halves.Please note that the pull of thisbow remains at 60 kilos at alltimes, not stepped down by pul-leys! Characters holding this bowwill have to start making StrengthFeat skill rolls after one combatround of holding it..

Arasaka Arms Half-Bow 100eb- 1 • L • P • 3 D 6 • 1 2 • 1 • V R • 1 0 0 mA recurve short bow that can betaken apart into two halves.Made out of scanner-resistantcomposites.

CrossbowsCrossbows are either cocked by the user(that is, the user uses his own strength topull back the string) or cocked mechani-cally, utilizing a winch or other device todrag the string back into position.

Eagletech "Arbelest"X-Bow 500eb0•N•P• 5D6 • 12 • 1/2 • VR • 150mA 60-kilo pull bow, cocked byusing a built-in winch. Characterswith a cyberarm and internal brac-ing (muscle and bone lace, body-plating breastplate, FMJ) canreload manually, raising the ROFto 1. This bow is quite large, withthe bulk of 1.5x an assault rifle.

Eagletech "Handbow"X-Bow 75eb- 1 • J • E • 1 D 6 + 2 • 1 2 • 1 • V R • 2 5 mThis is a hand-held crossbow witha 7-kilo pull. It can be installed in acyberarm with autoloader for300eb (the installation uses all theoption spaces in the arm).

Eagletech "Scorpion"X-Bow 1500eb0 • N • P • 7 D 6 • 6 • 1 / 2 • V R • 2 0 0 mA 120-kilo pull bow, cocked by apower winch. This winch can beremoved, if desired, but then thebow can only be cocked by full'borg conversions and people withtwo cyberarms (or a cyberarm anda cyberleg) and spinal bracing(MBL, breastplate, FMJ). Manualcocking with two cyberarms or bya full 'borg raises the ROF to 1.This bow is huge, easily the size ofa Barret-Arasaka 20mm! Anyonehit with a quarrel from this bowhas to succeed at an Acrobaticsroll of 20+ to remain standingafter the impact otherwise he isknocked over.

Eagletech "Stryker" X-Bow 22Oeb- 1 • N • C • 3 D 6 + 3 • 1 2 • 1 • V R • 5 0 mA 20-kilo pull sport crossbow,cocked and fired by the user.

ArrowsTarget: The basic arrow/quarrel

(bows use arrows, crossbows usequarrels). Halves all armor SP, doesnormal damage. 12 arrows/24eb, 12quarrels/30eb.

Broadhead: An head consistingof two or more razor-sharp blades.Acts as a knife for armor penetration,penetrating damage is doubled. 12arrows/40eb, 12 quarrels/50eb.

Stan/This arrowhead is a bluntellipsoid. All damage is stun. 12arrows/20eb, 12 quarrels/25eb.

Spinner: A vicious arrow with ahardened target point that springsinto a broadhead inside the victim.Furthermore, the arrow rotates inflight, drilling a 20mm+ hole throughthe victim's flesh! Acts as a knife forarmor penetration, penetrating dam-age is tripled. 12 arrows/80eb, 12quarrels/100eb.

Warhead: A standard 25mm pis-tol grenade (Chrome 2, pg.48) can befitted onto an arrow and shot fromany bow with a 20-kilo or greater pull.This reduces WA by -2 and halves theeffective range of the bow. The"Arbelest" and "Scorpion" crossbowsare exceptions to this; they suffer the-2 WA penalty, but retain their normalranges (these monsters already throwmassive bolts; the grenade's notheavy enough to make a difference).

Special BowRulesSelf bows require the Archery skill tofire effectively, since they are usedand aimed very differently than cross-bows. Crossbows use either theArchery skill, or the Rifle skill at halfvalue (the "Handbow" can be firedwith Pistol skill at half value instead ofArchery skill).

Range: Arrows and quarrels loseenergy over time more swiftly thanbullets. An arrow or quarrel shot atExtreme range only does 1/2 dam-age.

The number of shots listed foreach bow aren't held in some sort ofmagazine. No, they're in a quiver orother arrow holder, so in order toreload your bow or crossbow, youhave to reach down/back/out to itand grab the arrow/quarrel beforetransferring it to your string. Pleasenote that this can become difficult intight spaces.

String silencer: 50eb This is a setof weights that muffles the sound of aself-bow string being loosed. Theself-bow equivalent of a firearmsilencer, a silenced string muffles thetwang to the sound level of a medi-um-loud sniff. Not applicable tocrossbows.

Crossbow autoloader: 25% of thebow's cost. This is a box containing1/2 the crossbow's normal shots(usually six quarrels). Like a clip, itfeeds a new quarrel to the weapononce it's cocked. On self-cockedcrossbows (those that don't use awinch), the autoloader includes alever-based cocking mechanism, bet-ter than the normal one. This itemdoubles the ROF of the bow, butreduces the Ace by -1.

Bow sights: These range fromsimple optic bow sights to computer-ized, enhanced-vision sights. Thebasic sight costs 50eb and adds +1to the bow's WA. Sight additionsinclude: Cyber-targeting, +250 eb(requires WLNK and cybereye w/tar-geting option; can be hooked tosmartgoggles, boosts WA by an addi-tional + 1, for a total of +2); also IR,+200 eb; and Lowlite, +150 eb

Gyro-stabilizer: 10Oeb A gyro-sta-bilizer halves the movement penaltyfor firing a self-bow while moving,keeping the bow steady even inmotion.

JERSEYWITHERSPOON'S"DEAD ON TARGET"

LOVE &BULLETS FROMMoscow-

Corps are so typical.After a two-week operation in

Alaska (pulling VIPs out of an experi-mental military research lab nearFairbanks), popping caps, slinging shrat',and generally sticking it to the opposi-tion, I was rewarded with a measly 15%bonus to salary, my tapes for the mediaconfiscated, and an all-expense-paidvacation on the Black Sea to get me outof the execs' hair.

The Black Sea?" I thought "Giveme a friggin' break!" Then I reconsid-ered. I've put in my time and seen a lotof this rock we live on, but in all thattime, I've never seen any action in the

heartland of the iron curtain. Now, I hadthe opportunity to see how our fellowprofessionals in Mother Russia worked. Italked to the folks down in Recreationand Covert Operations and managed tohaggle a visa would get me into theSoviet capital, next, I contacted SOF, toldthem what I was about, and was sent agift-wrapped set o press passes andother official-looking documents, and asmall stash of those most worthless ofpaper products, Rubles, just in case Ineeded to grease a few palms to get theinside story.

Within a week, I was set My woundswere all patched up, and my arm was re-

Fun Times inthe Big Sovietby Francis "Jersey"Witherspoon

re-wired and working properly. AlthoughI had to send my gear via the diplomat-ic bag to the U.S. embassy, my arm andeye would serve me well enough shouldthere be any trouble along the way, notthat I expected any. Not many corporatehits in Moscow these days.

Upon landing, I got my first taste ofthe Soviet Cybersoldier. There were twoof them working in Customs, placedthere specially to check out foreignerswho had metal grafted to their meatThese were big gentlemen. I mean itThe short one was six-foot-four andlooked like he could bench press a trac-tor. Both were in uniform, poker-faced,

and armed to the teeth with Kalishnakovsmart-rifles. I followed the cable back tothe plug.

Their hardware bordered on nostal-gia! That plug looked like something thatshould have been on the back of an oldkitchen appliance. I panned down, look-ing for additional cyberware. That'swhen I noticed that the guard's pantswere four sizes too big and his legs,what I could see of them, looked like ajunkyard. I thought I could hear thegears whirring when he shifted his feetThe second guard was no better off,with a gun-metal arm and cables visiblethrough the plates in the wrist and fin-gers. They noticed my attention to theirhardware and spoke with admiration.Their appraisal of their gear was betterthan their English.

"Boris and I, highly regarded heroes.Many battles in Middle East. Only thebest for us. you like, huh?"

I shook my head in disbelief, 'youactually like that gear? Isn't it a bit clum-sy for your line of work?"

The big guy—Boris I suppose—laughed heartily. "Not pretty likeAmerican arms and legs, but not impor-tant when kicking hole in tank, yes?" Hestamped his foot for emphasis, and I'dswear on the grave of my aunt Matildathat the whole airport shook with theimpact I decided to change the subject

"So, where does a Russian solo gowhen he's got the time and is looking fora little action?"

Boris' face paled. "We are soldiers inelite guard. We do no such things. In bigcities, younger boys, bad children, buyon underground and do things formoney and goods. They have been aproblem for some time." He shook hishead sadly, and his partner nodded inagreement

Well, at least there was a hint ofaction. Maybe the younger generationhad found the time to lighten up andmake a profit for itself. I was beginningto look forward to my stay in Moscow.

I made it past Boris and his pal with-out them discovering the. T77 explosive-tipped caseless rounds concealed in;thearm. They didn't even bother to examinethe eye. I guess they have never seen a

one-shot optic before. I caught a cabinto the city and made my way to theU.S. embassy. After filling out too mayforms, I acquired my gear and a rentedcar. I also picked up a tail. It looked likethe old-style government paranoia wasstill in effect

This would never do. the Americanrental, designed for visiting Dips, wasequipped for plugs, so I jacked-in andlost my frustrated follower. Momentslater, cruising through the back streets,looking for signs that Moscow hadsomething to offer me, I was rewardedby sirens. Two red and white police vansscreamed by, four heavily-armed sol-diers hanging onto the running boardsfor dear life. Acting on a hunch, I gavechase. I was richly rewarded.

To make a long story short, I foundwhat I was looking for. The police hadsurrounded one of the city's newerferro-concrete apartment blocks andhad heavy weapons trained on the frontdoors. I worked my way around the bar-riers, flashing fake Pravda credentials toa pair of soldiers who were too stressedto argue. I unpacked my Nikkon andwaited.

The second story exploded and ametal monstrosity plummeted to thestreet, cracking the pavement. The Sovsopened up like it was Christmas, but thewalking battleship waded right throughtheir 7.62 rounds and decked one of thevans like it was a pencil-necked prize-fighter.

The hardware was hopelessly crude,almost a parody, but there was no deny-ing what I was seeing. A borged-outRussian, five blocks from Red Square!

My respect for the bulky Sovietcyberware increased geometrically withevery passing second. It may not looknice, but it sure can kick the hell out ofeverything that gets in its way.

Lightly armed, I ran for cover. Behindme, there was a sound like two trainscrashing. I chanced a look over myshoulder

The big Russian borg was on hisback, a dent the size of a basketball inhis chest Standing over him was a youngman with three blades the size of gardenshears poking out of this forearm. Behind

him, a woman jacked into a .51cal anti-vehicle rifle was in a ready crouch. Theborg staggered to his feet and launchedhimself at the two young Russians. Theydanced out of the way and let him haveit from both sides. The girl shoved therifle barrel through the chest plates, hold-ing down the trigger. The guy with theblades delivered an expert wheel kickthat caved in the side of the borg's head.They were suicidal moves, and I waitedfor the borg to clamp its paws down onthe both of them, but that never came.The pair rolled out of the way as some-thing inside the cyberpsycho gave way,and blood and smoke poured out oflethal wounds. The borg was finished.

YOU would expect that the policewould have dashed out and kissed thosetwo for saving their Bolshevik behinds.Instead, they began to close in, and Icould see they were calling for arrests.But it was too late. They were wingingtheir way down the block, and theremust have been some feelings of grati-tude amongst the grunts, because theynever opened fire.

Walking through the carnage, I wasdrafted into helping evacuate thewounded. I helped an injured officer tohis feet and introduced myself as areporter working for the London Times.Fortunately, he spoke passable Englishand was able to ask him about the twoapparent Solos we had just seen inaction.

"There are a few:' he began. "Mostlyyounger men and women. They likeWestern things: music, food. There areplaces to buy every thing. There are doc-tors who smuggle cybernetic parts infrom Europe and America." he grimaced,showing his displeasure. They are youngand reckless. They replace things that donot need replacing. Interfere with busi-ness which is not their own. it is most ille-gal."

I pointed out that their interferencehad probably kept his butt out of theintensive care ward. That produced thehint of a smile.

"The children these days. Who canunderstand them?"

Who indeed?

by Francis "Jersey" Wittier-spoon

Welcome to the Big Uneasy. Thecomplete collapse of every-thing connected with the

Soviet Union hasn't done much forMoscow's value as a restful vacationspot It's hard to really relax when all ofyour spare time is spent standing in linefor moldy turnips and vodka so lethallyawful that you can get a hangover justfrom holding the bottle up to the lightand looking at what's floating around in it

Of course, with my American presscredentials and secret supply ofEurodollars (technically illegal in Sov, buthotly traded on the black market), I canshop at the tourist stores that are off-lim-its to the locals. I went into the onearound the corner from my hotel andbought a pound of dynamite sausage, aloaf of bread that would cost the averageSov three months salary, and a bottle ofthe good stuff. But on the way back to mycozy, little rat-infested home-away-from-home, I walked past a lonely-lookingbabushka standing in the cold Moscowrain, at the remotest end of the publicbread line, with three hungry-lookingchildren gathered around her. I felt sobad, I gave her the works. Except for thevodka, of course.

Naturally, my philanthropy did not gounnoticed. A pair of beefy Moscow PDwith armored greatcoats and PP-ya "not-so-smart" submachine guns approachedme, and firmly warned me that it is illegalfor tourists to present gifts to locals. Thecops started collecting food, and I start-ed getting annoyed. Still, I was a visitor ina foreign land and caught up in the spir-it of diplomacy. Also, I could tell from the

number of strategically-placed bulgesunder their coats that violence would beugly. So I did what any smart touristwould do—I bribed them. One crisp, ten-euro note each later, and the cops notonly gave the food back to the soakedfamily, but they bought me a cup ofwretched coffee at a nearby sidewalkcafe and filled me in on the local scene.(Brief aside: why they have sidewalkcafes in the city with the worst weather Ihave ever known is a mystery.)

According to the cops, the mostorganized, powerful force in the newSoviet Union is organized crime. Feebleattempts to democratize and move awayfrom socialism and towards a marketeconomy a few years back did wondersfor the black-market and smugglinggangs. Now the Russkis have got a prob-lem with that most free of the free enter-prises. The Sov Mafia is so entrenchedthat the cops don't even try to do any-thing unless a gang war breaks out Mynew friends told me where the hangoutfor the local Mafia branch was, and sug-gested that I pay them a visit. I was sooverjoyed at this find that I gave my bot-tle of vodka to the cops. In return I got agreat bearskin cap, and what I think is theMoscow version of a "get-out-of-jail-free-card." I love the Moscow PD.

That evening I paid a visit to the ClubMiami, on Dzerzhinsky Prospekt, dis-turbingly near the headquarters of theold KGB. Club Miami is the base of oper-ations for the Golytsino Mafia, named forthe industrial suburb where they originat-ed. The door is a nondescript basemententrance. When I knocked, a panel in the

door slid aside, and a pair of beady,metal, Sov cybereyes glared out at me.My unseen friend angrily mutteredsomething that my Russian lingo chiptranslated as "Please, sir, depart immedi-ately!' I'm guessing that the chip tooksome liberties with the harsher language.I decided to use a non-verbal reply. I heldup my SOF holo-ID press credential.Thirty seconds (and several deadboltslater) I was being ushered into the cluband someone was pressing a zesty,intoxicating beverage into my hand. Ilove that pass. If s good everywhere.

The Club Miami is a large, sound-proofed basement, and it is a disco in thebest tradition of the word. A tropical-Cuban motif disguised the security cam-eras and gun ports. The bouncers woreloud, loose Hawaiian shirts that coveredtheir pistols. A large crowd of attractiveyoung people in tight clothes gyrated onthe dance floor to a Latin groove. Theyeven had a spinning holo ball. It wasworlds better than the drab tourist club Ihad visited earlier in my trip. There weretop-of-the-line braindance booths, and aselection of mixed drinks the likes ofwhich I haven't encountered since thathostage-rescue operation on the RoyalVista cruise ship on the Italian Riviera(see June 2014 issue—Editor). I was curi-ous how it was that the entire rest of theSoviet Union could live in completepoverty, squalor, and hardship, while theMafia thrives without so much as a peepfrom the cops.

The answer to my questions came inthe form of Anatoly Kusnetsovo, localleader of the Golytsino Organitskaya.

Kusnetsovo was a large, well-fed manwith a jolly demeanor, and the cold eyesof someone who could cheerfully shootyou through the head. Kusnetsovoimmediately began to treat me like hisbest friend, clapping me on the back,and ordering a large plate of sausages,bread, and caviar to be brought to ourtable by an attractive debauchka so min-imally clothed that I forgot immediatelyabout the freezing rain falling outside."Here we live well. Even better than partyleaders! That's why people want to joinus! To be like us!" A spray of caviar shotfrom his lips and speckled my shirt as hetalked and laughed. He gestured at theyoung people on the dance floor. "Someof these children work for us. Many donot But they will become party officials,police officials, and they will rememberwhat we did for them."

The Golytsinos have the cops sowrapped up that Kusnetsovo wasremarkably forthcoming in discussingthe workings of his group. Their racketsread like a shopping list Food and tech-nology smuggling. Weapons supply. (Itturns out that even the police buy theirmore sophisticated weapons from theGolytsinos; the official red tape is just toodevastating.) Illegal importation of west-ern cyberware. Black market moneytrading. Automobiles and aerodynes forparty officials(!). Computers and illegalinformation trading. I learned later thatthe Golytsino is one of the big four inMoscow, with most smaller Mobs spe-cializing in one or two forms of graft Ialso learned some of the secrets to thebig gangs' success. In a land of short-ages, they fill a critical need. In order tostay in business they have a few simplerules. First: make friends with the police.The/re having as hard a time as every-one else. Two: stay away from crimesthat will piss the police off, such as arson,protection rackets, and, depending onthe area, drugs. Three: make the peopleyour friends. Average citizens drive agreat deal of the black market (which,contrary to its name, is often held inbroad daylight on the outskirts of townlike a giant bazaar). Don't alienate yourcustomers by squeezing them with pro-tection rackets, shooting them, or beat-

ing them up. Many gangs don't sub-scribe to these rules, and have moretrouble with the cops, the party, and thecitizens. Of course, because of thesmuggling, the Organitskaya often havecyberware, weapons, and equipment farbetter than the police and army.

It's not all sunshine and roses for theGolytsinos, though. Although they havethe cops on the take and the public ontheir side, competition with the otherOrganitskaya groups for business andterritory is fierce and violent Bloody con-

flagrations are common, as are ganglandhits and raids. There is a pact to keepinnocent deaths and collateral damageto a minimum, though, because policeand Party attention hurts all of the gangs.In fact, Kusnetsovo let me in on the factthat the Golytsinos had learned the loca-tion of a warehouse belonging to therival Karlanikhas. He asked if I would liketo go on a raid. In the interests ofJournalism, I agreed. After all, I was onvacation. Why not have some fun?

Kusnetsovo's main lieutenant, athick-necked thug named Voregod, wasin charge of the raid. He and I bundledourselves into a trio of nondescriptZhiguli sedans along with ten other menand women and headed down toDomededovo, near the airport Afterpaying off some local cops to take a longcoffee break, Voregod sent out his scout.

Natalya, to deal with the lookouts. Thiswas the same attractive, bikini-cladwoman who had earlier served mesausage and drinks. Now she wasdressed in a black jumpsuit and waswearing a pair of Japanese light-ampgoggles and a wicked knife. She creptout of one of the Zhigulis and vanishedinto the shadows. Ten minutes later shere-appeared with a bloody knife and saidthat she had "dealt with" four guards. Iswore on the spot never to cheat on aRussian woman.

A minute later, we were at the doorto the warehouse. Voregod simplyknocked. When the door opened acrack, he gave it a mighty kick with hiscyberleg and burst inside, surprisingabout seven men and women and cast-ing a handful of flash and smoke bombsaround him. "Surprise from Golytsino!"He roared, and began firing. Within sixtyseconds the Golytsinos had all but wipedout the surprised Karlanikhas. One guywas left alive, sprawled in a pool of bloodand shattered cyberware on the floor. Asthe rest of our accomplices were carry-ing out crates of Japanese cyberdecks,Voregod knelt by the wounded man andsaid in Russian, "Don't take it so hard! Wehad a Solo of Fortune reporter here! youwill be famous!" The wounded man liftedhis head and stared at me through hisagony for a moment Then he asked mefor my autograph. So I signed my auto-graph for him. And then Voregod shothim through the head. Its a funny oldworld.

An hour later, we were back at ClubMiami, Natalya was on my lap, andKusnetsovo was explaining to me thatthe Kharlanika's would no doubt retaliateas soon as they could. That's life in theSoviet Mafia. If you're ever in Moscow,drop by Club Miami and tell the doormanthat I sent you. They'll make you feel athome, and, if you're lucky, you'll get a lit-tle action. As for me, my holiday wasover, and the next day my new friendswere seeing me off at the airport I'll missMoscow. Sure it's cold, gray, and para-noid. But it ain't ever dull.Next month:Istanbul on less than fifty rounds a day!

T he Union of Soviet SocialistRepublics was once one of theworld's two great powers, con-

trolling all of eastern Europe and ahealthy chunk of Asia, and influenc-ing countries around the worldthrough diplomacy, industry, andcovert methods. This changed duringthe 1990s, as secessionist memberrepublics combined with a failingeconomy, inter-culture wars, andpolitical woes to bring about thedownfall of the old USSR.

The new Union of SovietSovereign Republics was born fromthis crisis period. The name changewas very subtle (some theorize thatthe single word change was in orderto avoid the cost of replacing theUSSR on all the stationary and paper-work), but its effects far-reaching:each member nation of the newUSSR was a sovereign republic, withits own laws, jurisdictions, military,etc., in essence freeing every countryfrom the yoke of a Russian centralgovernment. At the same time, theUSSR's domination of the countriesof eastern Europe was quietlydropped; it had all but ceased any-way, since the Sovs couldn't afford tocontinue the economic upkeep. Formore information on the mechanicsand history of the transition from theold USSR (usually just referred to asthe USSR) to the new USSR (in world-speak slang, Neo-SSR/Neo-Sov, dif-ferentiating it from the old country),check out the History section of theSovOil dossier in Corp Report,Vol. 3.1

The situation in the USSR and itsformer satellite countries is one of acontinued struggle for economicrecovery. The old USSR used itsresources (and those of its satellites)very heavily, without regard for thefuture of the area. When it finally col-lapsed, the new sovereign republicsand former Bloc nations found them-selves faced with depletedresources, high levels of pollution,antiquated industries, and a lack ofhard currency. In short, they had thehard job of playing catch-up with therest of the world, starting with a 50-

75 year handicap and adding theproblems of massive industrial pollu-tion to boot. To this day, the USSRand its former satellites are still tryingto pick up the pieces and compete ona world market that passed them inthe 1980s.

Political turmoil continues tocomplicate the process. Many of thesovereign republics can't get alongwith each other; several fight frequentborder wars over everything fromresources to religion. The monolithicstructure of the Soviet Partyrepressed other political parties forso long that once the other partieswere allowed out of the back rooms,they went rather berserk. After 25years, the political wars have calmeddown a little bit—but the term"Russian politics" is still synonymouswith behind-the-scenes blackmail,coercion, and mysterious disappear-ances...

And who would have thought thatthe old USSR would ever be creditedwith maintaining peace anywhere?yet, as soon as Russian troops werewithdrawn from satellite countriesand outlying republics, zealots hauledcenturies-old hatreds out of the clos-et and started shooting each other.Ukraine threatened war againstRussia. The Baltics followed suit (itcan be argued that the Baltics threat-ened war first, and Ukraine followedsuit—the exact timing is lost in classi-fied diplomatic records). Fortunately,these were diplomatic maneuvers.The religious war in Kazakhstan, withthe Arabic Moslems and the RussianChristians, was more serious. Indeed,the war threatened all of the USSR,until the members of the new IslamicAsiatic Republic (formerly Tajikistan,Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, and partsof Kazakhstan) started warring oneach other over ancient tribal wrongs.

Poland and Germany had a briefmoment of angst when they arrayedarmies at each other's borders. Tothis day, they maintain an uneasypeace. Bulgaria's historic feud withTurkey has resulted in sporadic bor-der clashes. And who can ignore the

prize snake-pit of them all, the messin what used to be known asYugoslavia? The Bosnians and Serbswasted no time in starting their geno-cidal war. The war has slowed to a rel-ative trickle, but it still plods on.

The new USSR and the countriesof eastern Europe are wracked with

BE CERTAINOF THE

ALLEGIANCESOF YOUR

EMPLOYER ANDYOUR ENEMIES.EMPLOYER AND

ADVERSARYCOVERTLYWORKING

TOGETHERTOWARDS A

POLITICAL GOALIS MORE COMMON

THAN YOUMIGHT THINK.

internal strife on all levels. Open war-fare is common, political strugglesare an almost everyday occurrence;racial, political, and religious differ-ences often boil over into conflict,and atop it all is the move to rebuildinto the 21st century. Combined withWestern influence and interests in theregion, the possibilities for mercenaryemployment are staggering.

SurvivalTricksFirst things first: unless you are anative of the country where you'regoing, you're not in Kansas anymore.YOU are not on your home turf, andyou'd better know the local situationbefore you go sashaying into one ofthe eastern European countries, oryou'll wind up on the wrong end of agun very swiftly. It's not just the lan-guage that will be different. The cus-toms, the food, the body language, thepolitics—everything is going to be dif-ferent. What's worse, is that it won't betotally alien, like walking into theForbidden City. No, things will be justfamiliar enough to get you caught upin a stimulus-response situation whereyour natural response to the stimuluswill be all wrong, and bang! you'redead (or worse).

In simple terms, don't look at atour in the old SovBloc as a milk runthrough historic Europe. Even if you'reEuro-hip to the eyeballs, and can min-gle with the goldenkids and the foot-ball supporters, you'll have to learn awhole different culture to fit in with theeast Euros. Short of finding a verycompetent and long-suffering nativeguide with a silver tongue, the nextbest thing is to outfit yourself with aCultOps chipset (editorial note: theCultOps chipset is similar to theSpecial Operative and Tourism chips inChromebook 1. It is a set of two chips;one has the language at +3 and theother has Specific Culture at +2 andLocal Geography at +1. This is enoughto prevent basic faux pas. Cost is 1500eb). For the real pros, nothing less thana complete chip-set (language, cus-toms, law, geography, and militarytech, all at +3) will do—it's heavy onthe chip-slot, but a good, thoroughknowledge of the country and the peo-ple can save your mission, and yourbutt.

The next thing to look at is your kitWhat are you taking with you into eastEuro? Besides your cybernetics, ofcourse—speaking of which, look to

your body first. Get a complete check-up, inoculations, nanotech boost, andcybernetics overhaul done before youhead out, even if you're only going tobe there a week or so. Eastern Europeis not the center of modern medicineand cybernetics research. If your metalbreaks down out in the middle ofKazakhstan, the nearest cyberneticsclinic is in Volgograd—and its mostrecent stock is ten years old, mate.They don't have the spares, the facili-ties, or the know-how to fix that mal-functioning servo (much less a faultyneural circuit). And they don't have tai-lored nanos to keep your biowaresgoing, either.

Back to the kit What are you tak-ing in the way of equipment? Thinkingof hauling in a Malorian Flechette pis-tol and an M31A1? Or maybe just aMilitech 25mm GL Better haul lots ofammo and spares, then, because youwon't find any available at any pricewhere you're going, you'd be better offswitching to a Stolvoboy, or even anold AK-74, because there are tote ofthese around, with mountains of spareparts and ammo. Anything in 9mmParabellum is okay, too, because ofthe proximity to western Europe andtheir love affair with the old round.

The same thing goes for the rest ofyour equipment. Whenever possible,try to kit yourself out in what's locallyavailable, because most mercenariesdon't have huge supply networks tokeep them in their favorite materials.The best advice is to check out an areaSovOil location, and see if the localemployees won't liberate some equip-ment in exchange for some euro.SovOil stuff is high quality (by eastEurope standards), and commonenough that it won't generate interest(or supply problems).

So you've got your chips, yourcheck-ups, and your gear, you figureyou're ready to go. Uh uh. Rule #1:Knowledge is power. Before you headoff to your job, check out the local sit-uation nine ways from Sunday. If youcan, finagle an intelligence report froma reliable source or two—it's amazingwhat you can find when you combine

a CIA dossier with the lowdown from anative organized-crime stoolie. Readthe newsfaxes. Raid network datafiles.Try to find out everything you canabout where you're going and whatyou're doing. The more informationyou have, the less chance there is ofgetting caught in a double-cross (acommon and popular tactic in easternEurope. It's no coincidence that thevampire legend comes from here, withits central basis of the idea that anyonecan betray you, even your loved ones).

So keep your eyes open. Makesure of the political and military situa-tions if you can, because changingconditions can alter allegiances inmoments. In addition, be as certain aspossible of the allegiances of youremployer, and your enemies.Employer and adversary covertlyworking together to accomplish apolitical goal is a more commonoccurrence in eastern Europe thanyou might think.

RussiaThe largest sovereign republic of theUSSR, the largest economic power,and the tail that wags the USSR dog,Russia is pretty much still the center of

the USSR, a fact which angers theother sovereign republics (such asUkraine), and makes neighbors likethe Baltics and Poland nervous. Russiastill has one of the world's largeststanding armies, nuclear capability,and is one of the world's aerospaceleaders—the Soviet Rocket Corps pro-vides most of the ESA's heavy liftingengines.

Despite this apparent strength,industrial might, and solidarity, there isstill plenty of employment for merce-naries inside Mother Russia. Theopportunities range from security togarrison, from striker missions to espi-onage:

Striker Mission: The oil fields ofthe Caucasus region (located betweenUkraine and Kazakhstan) have been astrategic target since WW II. TheWehrmacht almost captured them,and were stopped at Stalingrad.Stalingrad was re-renamed Volgograd,and is still the focal point of this oil-richregion. SovOil practically owns thisregion, but has problems with ArabicKazakhstanis, who also claim thisregion because they want the oil, too!

The Employer: SovOil, the biggestcompany in the hemisphere. It pays

well, and SovOil's checks neverbounce—but you earn them. Watchyour back, though. SovOil hires foreignmeres to do its dirty work for the fol-lowing reasons: 1. To achieve anobjective more cost-efficiently thanSovOil's troops; 2. to do a dirty job andblame it on foreigners, rather thanSovOil (hopefully, they'll get you outfast); 3. suicide missions, where theidea is to shoot up the enemy and diein the process, thereby blunting theenemy and only costing SovOil theeuro to bring you in and turn youloose.

Support: Variable, depending onthe mission. If you're going to be therefor a while and you're not doing com-mando ops, SovOil can keep you incomparatively good supply—particu-larly if you use SovOil-standard equip-ment

The Enemy: The main thrust tocapture, or at least cripple, theCaucasus oil fields, comes from a col-lection of Arabic Kazakhstan! tribeswhose motives are greed, tribal pride,and a hatred of the Russians (who areperceived as foreign oppressors). TheKazakhstanis are fairly well-equipped,using arms and equipment seizedfrom local armories. Usually this mate-rial is used against the ChristianKazakhstanis, but these tribes canmuster fairly large forces to sally out ofKazakhstan and attack SovOil's oilfields.

The Mission: Using western tech-nology and tactics, mercenaries crossthe Kazakhstan! border and attack theaggressors before they strike into theoil fields. These are usually search-and-destroy missions, with the emphasisplaced on "hit-and-git." The method ofattack varies with the size of the mer-cenary force—a large armored forcewould use direct assault, while a smallforce might choose guerrilla tactics.

Garrison Mission: The border withthe Baltics (Latvia, Estonia, andLithuania) is always a touchy place.Russian troops nearby are not well-loved—pesky partisans tend to sneakout and dry-gulch them, always amorale problem.

7776 Employer: The Russian gov-ernment. Pay is low, and sometimesunreliable, depending on the govern-ment's internal politics. Foreign meresare low on the priority list.

Support: Abysmal. The RussianArmy will grudgingly allot a mercenaryforce necessary supplies, when it getsaround to it.

The Enemy: Partisans from theBaltics (particularly on the Estonianborder), and the Russian Army(l).Hopefully, the nationality of mere unitson border patrol will dissuade parti-

WHAT AREYOU PACKING IN

THE WAY OFEQUIPMENT?THINKING OFHAULING IN A

MALORIANFLECHETTE

PISTOL AND ANM31A1? BETTERHAUL LOTS OF

AMMO ANDSPARES — YOU

WON'T FIND ANYWHERE YOU'RE

GOING.sans from attacking (most of the time).The Russian Army might decide to "stirthings up" by faking partisan activityand trying to provoke a mercenaryresponse, both to legitimize actionagainst the Baltics and to harass theforeigners, whom the Russian Army

sees as a slap in the face.The Mission: Border patrol, pure

and simple. Diligent units might try tocatch a smuggler or two, but most ofthe unit goal is to "show the flag,"assuring the Baltics that the troops onthe border are not sneaky Russiansplanning to invade...

Security Mission: Well, actually,bodyguard duty. Moscow is still a pret-ty dangerous place to live if you're apolitician. If you're New-SSR, then theHardliners are after your skin. If you'rea Hardliner, then the New Order hatesyour guts, for the "Nights of Fire" if fornothing else. If you're Islamic, every-body else watches you for signs ofjihad; if you're a Ukrainian, everybodysuspects you of espionage againstRussia... you get the picture.

7776 Employer: A Moscow politi-cian of one alignment or another. Getyour pay up front, and in gold, oreurodollars. File it in an iron-cladaccount somewhere, like Switzerland.And write your will.

Support: Pretty good, in Moscow.After all, if you need something, youcan nip down to the shops and get it.And if the shops don't carry it, there'sa thriving and well-supplied black mar-ket that does...

The Enemy: Grief. This categorycan include every soul in Moscow,including your supposed allies-of-the-moment. This job is recommended forthe truly paranoid, since their delusiongives them a leg up on the reality ofthe situation.

7776 Mission: Depends on whatthe pol wants. Some missions are hell-ish, straight bodyguard jobs, with for-eigners hired because they (hopefully)don't have any interest in local politics,and once bought, stay bought..usually,the employer tries for some sort ofblackmail or other extra "insurance" toinsure his bodyguards' loyalty. Othermissions involve espionage againstthe pol's enemies, ranging from info-gathering to sabotage and assassina-tion. Every dirty trick the KGB everthought of during the Cold War is nowused internally, against the membersof the USSR.

This sort of mission absolutelyrequires good knowledge of Moscow,USSR politics, local customs, and thelocal power structure.

"Police" Work: Following thebreakdown of Soviet control in the1990s, a new force made its presenceopenly known in the USSR. Organizedcrime became a real factor in politicsand economics, and there wasn'tmuch that the authorities could doabout it, because of OrgCrime's linkswith the local powers-that-be.

The Employer: Some Russian lawenforcement or martial authority, usu-ally on the sly. Payment will be good,usually 1/4 down, 3/4 on completionof the job.

Support: None. The employerwants to avoid all links with the merce-naries.

The Enemy: The Organitskaya. Itcould be a local mafioso, some sort ofsmuggling or black market cartel, oreven an assassins' union.

The Mission: Strictly deniable,either a sting or a strike. Stings arecovert missions where the mission isto penetrate the OrgCrime organiza-tion and gather information on it, thenfade out quietly without letting theorganization know that it's been com-promised. Strikes are more overt,where the idea is to have some foreigngroup (unaffiliated with the blamelessand unwitting authorities, naturally)come in and smash the organization,then disappear (obviously in the pay offoreign competitors, comrade!). Thesemissions are touchy, difficult, and usu-ally pay well.

TheBalticsEstonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; thethree first Soviet Socialist Republics togain independence (as of Dec. 21,1991). And independent they alwayswere, hating Russian domination—theEstonians fought alongside theGerman Wehrmacht in WW II, andcontinued a guerrilla war against theSoviets until 1955!

By and large, these three smallcountries are fairly peaceful, as long asthe Russians keep their troops awayfrom the borders. Latvia's industry andLithuania's agriculture are too valuableto the USSR to fight over. Estonia's oil-shale fields, containing over 60% ofthe oil-shale reserves of the formerUSSR, are a contested resource.

7776 Employer: Petrochem, SovOil,or Estonian security. The first two pay

magnificently, although it's a goodthing to have a "if we don't return" filewith a trusty media or two. Just asinsurance... If you're hired by theEstonians, the pay is low, but they willnot shaft you.

Support: None. Estonian duty ispurely covert.

The Enemy: Petrochem, SovOil,and Estonian security.

The Mission: Espionage andcounter-espionage. Both Petrochemand SovOil have forces working inEstonia to try to subvert Estonian sym-pathies (and oil) to their causes.Foreign mercenaries are usually hiredto commit some sort of terrorist actthat can be blamed on one of these

corporations, or to prevent a terroristact by the employer's rival, or, rarely,as security by the Estonians them-selves.

This is really hazardous duty. TheEstonians are so trigger-happy andsuspicious of non-Estonians that theymake Arasaka look restrained. Thespying and counter-spying is fierceand no-holds-barred, yet actual dam-age to the oil-shale operation is ver-boten; after all, that's the prize!

The UpperEast BlocPoland, the Czech and SlovakRepublics, and Romania/Moldaviacomprise the Upper East Bloc coun-tries. All three countries are still fairlypoor; they started that way when theywere gifted with independence back inthe 1990s, and the ensuing chaos andworld recession didn't give them muchof a chance to improve their situation.Of the three, Poland is the wealthiestand most modern, with the CzechRepublic a close second, thanks toGerman investment (a fact whichgrates on the Slovaks).

These countries are peaceful,without much employment for merce-naries (beyond the usual corporatehijinks). The Czech and SlovakRepublics are the exception to therule. On June 18, 2021, GeneralSkroup launched a power bid to seizethe Czech Republic when he invadedPrague with EC support. The Czechgovernment fought back, and wasdefeated after a spirited engagement,falling back to southern Poland as gov-ernment-in-exile (it didn't take much topersuade the Poles that the abortiveinvasion of 2018 was a ploy by Skroupand his EC friends to keep Poland andthe Czech Republic off-guard). Now, astanding war is being waged againstwhat the east Euros see as little morethan a thinly-veiled German annexa-tion ploy.

The Sides: General Skroup'sProvisional Government in Prague, the

Czech Republican Army in Poland, theSlovak Army in Slovakia, and partisansof various alignment in all three loca-tions.

This is serious business. Skroup'slightning strike failed to do more thanprecipitate a war. Skroup is trying tohold on to Prague and the other majorCzech cities, while the CRA is doing itsbest to strike at Skroup's forces with-out damaging their own cities andpeople. The Slovak Army lurks on theborder, ready to attack Skroup at theleast provocation, and racist parti-sans—Slovak, Czech, and German-attack their declared enemies andgenerally cause lots of collateral dam-age.

Of course, there's support for thecombatants. Skroup has not-so-tacitsupport from the EC, and the CRA hasopen support from the republics of theUSSR. The problem is that this war isperceived as another German attemptto annex the area now called theCzech Republic. In WW II, most of the

Czechs didn't mind, since they hatedthe Soviets. Now that they have inde-pendence, they do mind. And so doesthe rest of eastern Europe; the CzechRepublic has become a rallying pointfor the former Soviet Bloc, a chance toprove that the EC (and Germany) can'tdominate the eastern countries.Naturally, there's plenty of mercenarywork here. For a change, it's fairlystraightforward; since the sides are sopolarized, the chances of a double-cross are slim (unless you sign on withthe partisans). The EC/Skroup forcespay very well for expertise, but youearn the money, since working forSkroup either means commando mis-sions against the CRA or anti-partisan

THE SERBSAND CROATSPRACTICED

GENOCIDE ONEACH OTHER

FOR A DECADE,UNTIL THEY

HAD TO STOPSHOOTING ONEANOTHER OR

STARVETOGETHER.

missions. The CRA can't pay as well,but its missions are a lot safer, sincethey have contacts everywhere in theoperation theatre. Typical CRA con-tracts include commando missionsagainst Skroup's forces, particularly hissupply lines through Germany...Ifoffered an anti-supply mission, holdout for higher pay, because it meansoperating inside Germany—in essence,an undeclared war against Germany!

TheSouthernBlocHungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.Lands of the gypsies; of Transylvaniafame. More hungry and economicallydepressed than their northern neigh-bors. All three are governed by dicta-tors, but Hungary and Romania's dic-tators are governed by EC "advisors."There's no mere work here, unless youwant to be an EC stooge taking part ina war of provocation against Bulgaria(a position usually referred to as "theshort end of the stick").

HieYugoslavianSplintersThe moment that Communist controlfaded in Yugoslavia, the country fellapart. The separatist countries ofBosnia-Hercegovenia, Serbia, Croatia,and Slovenia soon became householdnames as the inhabitants of eachsought to redress wrongs dating fromthe German occupation of WW II(actually, the differences are mucholder than that, but WW II provided themost recent set of grievances).

The Serbs and Croats practicedgenocide on each other for nearly adecade, and nearly succeeded. In theend, the crash of the late '90s con-vinced them that they had to stopshooting one another or starve togeth-er. An uneasy peace settled over theland. Gradually, the formerYugoslavians started cooperating (outof necessity), and eventually stabilizedinto a sort of coalition. The crowningachievement of the coalition was the"annexation" of Albania in 2019.

(This "annexation" needs explana-tion. What happened was that theAlbanians and the Greeks claimed thatMacedonia—the easternmost part offormer Yugoslavia—was moreGreek/Albanian than Serbo-Croat, and

"annexed" the little country by movingin some troops and closing the bordersin 2018. In response, the Serbs andCroats invaded northern Albania withforces only slightly stronger thanAlbania's token military. At present, theSerbo-Croat forces occupy Albania'snorthernmost city, and enough ofnorthern Albania to make it hard on theAlbanians to remove them. And that'sthe extent of the "annexation." Still,Serbs and Croats fighting on the same

side without killing each other was areal triumph.)

There's mercenary work in thissector. There's a sort of three-front wargoing on: Serbia vs. Macedonia;Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia vs. Albania;and, of course, there's still the Serb vs.Croat conflict It may not make thenews as often, but the fighting still goeson.

The Employer: Any of a dozenorganizations. Payment is less than cer-tain; get the money in advance—or atleast in a Swiss bank account, to bepaid on success. And watch who hiresyou; the former Yugoslavians are likelyto change allegiances without amoment's notice.

Support: Better travel light, andself-contained. Support here is lousy.

7?7e Enemy: In this country, thisdefinition can change without amoment's notice, too. When youremployer defines your enemy, move onthe objective quickly, before your ene-mies are declared your friends! As faras opposition, all of the sides involvedare poor—equipment is surplus 20th-century stuff, with green or undisci-plined troops. There are a surprisingnumber of tanks still around, though, sodon't think it's a milk run.

7776 Mission: Variable. Most mis-sions are quick strikes against adefined target objective; settling forany other kind of mission leaves a mer-cenary unit open to local politicalmaneuverings.

CurrentSovietEquipment &Vehicles—CLGMs (Cannon-Launched GuidedMissiles!:The Soviet Union was the first countryto routinely equip normal combat vehi-cles with ATGMs, placing externalSagger launchers on the world's firstIFV, the BMP-1. It was soon discoveredthat the external launching platformexposed the missile, the launchingapparatus, and the loader to enemy fire;however, early missiles were too bulkyto fire from internal launchers. As mis-sile technology improved and missilesbecame smaller, the Soviets inventedslim, streamlined missiles that could belaunched through the smoothbore guntubes of their MBTs. Soviet ATGMresearch continues to refine andreduce missile sizes, so that now their11cm CLGMs are the equal of othernations' HATGMs, and their 8cm CLGMis equal to normal LATGMs.

Outfitting a cannon to fire CLGMsadds 5000eb. to the cost of the gun;minimum sizes for missiles 9cm forLATGMs, 12cm for HATGMs.

The CommonNeo-SovSoldier/Policeman:INT 4 REF 6 TECH 4COOL 6 ATTR 5 LUCK 5BOD 6 EMP 5

Skills:Soldier: Combat Sense +3,Athletics +2, Awareness +3,Brawling +3, Driving +2, First Aid+ 1, Rifle or SMG +3, Stealth +1.

Policeman: Combat Sense orAuthority +3, Athletics +2,Awareness +3, Brawling +3, Driving+2, First Aid +1, Handgun +4,Intimidation +2, Melee +2, Rifle orSMG +3, Stealth +2, Streetwise +1.

Equipment:Soldier: AKR-16 assault rifle with10 magazines, 4 hand grenades,knife/bayonet, SP20 helmet, SP10kevlar vest, field kit, tent, backpack,one week's field rations. One sol-dier in two has an under-barrel30mm grenade launcher (treat as40mm grenade launcher), and car-ries only 6 magazines of AKR-16ammunition and no hand grenades,but carries 10x 30mm grenades forthe launcher.

Policeman: Stolvoboy STS subma-chinegun with 5 magazines,Stolbovoy ST-2 pistol with 4 maga-zines, 2 hand grenades, knife, hand-cuffs, truncheon with built-in elec-tric stunner, SP14 armor jacket

A VASTLYIMPROVED

MODEL, THET-100 HAS

ENOUGH ROOMINSIDE FORTALL CREWMEMBERS,

DECENT RANGEAND SPEED, ALACK OF THE

CHRONICMAINTENANCE

PROBLEMS THATPLAGUED

SOVIET TANKSIN THE PAST,AND ENOUGH

COMBATCAPABILITY TOSURVIVE THE

BATTLEFIELD OFTHE 21STCENTURY.

T-1OO Tank

The T-100 is the latest in the Soviet tank series. A vastly improved model, the T-100has enough room inside for crew members taller than 1.55 meters, decent range andspeed, a lack of the chronic maintenance problems that plagued Soviet tanks in thepast, and enough combat capability to survive the battlefield of the 21st century. Itslow price and ready availability ensures that it's seen on battlefields from Asia to Africa.

The gunner and commander ride in the turret The driver and loader ride in the hull.

TOP SPEED:ACC/DEC:CREW:RANGE:PASSENGERS:CARGO:MANEUVER:

80 Kph16/80 Kph

4612 Km*

01 space

+2

SDP: 335 (Body 17)SP: 160 (Armor 8)TVPE: MBT

MASS: 56 tonsCOST: 9.8M eb*80 kilometers of this range is due to an externalfuel tank mounted on the rear deck. This tank canbe jettisoned, and usually Is before entering battle.

Special Equipment: Composite and reactive armor, amphibious, fireextinguisher, 12 man-hours life support, 2 IR smoke launchers, anti-personnel grenade charges, military radio, visual rangefinder, auto-pilot, navigation system, active IR sensors, light amplification, militaryradar detector, armored searchlight, thermograph.Weapons: Stabilized 12cm, CLGM-equipped gun with +1 targetingcomputer, stabilized 23mm coaxial autocannon, mounted in turret.14.5mm machinegun on pintle mount atop turret. 2 7.62mm machine-guns in articulated mounts forward on the hull, fired by driver or gun-ner. 9 HATGM missiles with semi-active thermal guidance, 3 23mm, 414.5mm magazines in the turret; 50 rounds 12cm and 4 magazines of7.62mm ammunition in the hull.

Mi-52Of course, SovOil's aerodyne was the perfect platform from which to develop anattack AV. It's bulky, and not very maneuverable, and boxy, and ugly, and does-n't look a thing like the rest of the world's sleek attack AVs. But it is cheap, andshares a lot of parts in common with the Mi-50, and the Soviets sell a lot of themto countries which cannot afford the sleeker Western models.

TOP SPEED: 365 KphACC/DEC: 80/80 KphCREW: 3RANGE: 1288 Km*PASSENGERS: 3CARGO: 3 Spaces (500 Kg)

MANEUVER:SDP:SP:TYPE:MASS:COST:

+0110 (Body 3)55 (Armor 3)

AV4,400 kg

850,000 eb

Special Equipment: Ejection seats for crew, fire extinguisher, 12 man-hours life support, chaff and flare dispensers, military radio, visualrangefinder, auto-pilot and navigation system, active IR, laser detector, lightamplification, magnetometer, radar with terrain-following, thermograph.Weapons: 23mm autocannon and 30mm AutoGL (count as 40mm) inhigh-angle chin turret. 2 12.7mm Catlings in hull, fixed forward. 219-shot 2.75" rocket pods, pointed forward. One 14.5mm machinegun inarticulated mount on each side. 4 autocannon magazines, 4 AGL mag-azines, 4 Catling magazines, all in hull.

BMP-3 IFV

The Soviet BMP was the world's first Infantry Fighting Vehicle. It was fullyenclosed, armored, fast enough to keep pace with the tanks, armed with a76mm cannon and the new ATGM launcher, capable of carrying a squad ofinfantry into battle, and fighting alongside them. The BMP-3 is the latest in theseries of Soviet IFVs. Like the T-100, it's got a taller ceiling (designed for troopsover 1.55 meters tall), better reliability, and a lower price tag than any compa-rable Western model.

The entire crew rides in the hull.

TOP SPEED: 50 Kph SP: 37 (Armor 2)ACC/DEC: 20/50 Kph TVPE: AFVCREW: 3 MASS: 18.7 tonsRANGE: 595 Km* COST: 950,000 ebPASSENGERS: 7 *113 kilometers of this range is due toCARGO: None an external fuel tank mounted on theMANEUVER: +2 rear deck This tank can be jettisoned,SDP: 187 (Body 9) and usually is before entering battle.

Special Equipment: Reactive armor, amphibious, 2 IR smoke launch-ers, anti-personnel grenade charges, military radio, visual rangefinder,auto-pilot, navigation system, Image Enhancement, passive IR sensors,light amplification, military radar detector, armored searchlight, ther-mograph.Weapons: 10cm CLGM-equipped cannon (treat as a 90mm), coaxial30mm cannon and 7.62mm machinegun, all mounted in turret. 230mm and 2 7.62mm magazines in turret, 5 LATGMs with semi-activethermal guidance and 20 rounds of 10cm ammo in hull.

THE SOVIETBMP WAS THE

WORLD'S FIRSTINFANTRYFIGHTING

VEHICLE. THEBMP-3 IS THE

LATEST INTHE SERIESOF SOVIET

IFVS. LIKE THET-100, IT'S

GOT A TALLERCEILING,BETTER

RELIABILITY,AND A LOWER

PRICE TAGTHAN ANY

COMPARABLEWESTERN

MODEL.

ANOTHEREXAMPLE OFRELATIVELY

INEXPENSIVESOVIET

MILITARYTECHNOLOGY,

THE HITTER ISA PROFICIENT,

IF UNDER-EQUIPPED,

ATTACKHELICOPTER.

Mi-32 Hitter

Another example of relatively inexpensive Soviet military technology, the Hitteris a proficient, if under-equipped, attack helicopter. It's lighter, smaller, andcheaper than its predecessors.

TOP SPEED: 290 Kph MANEUVER: -2ACC/DEC: 25/25 Kph SDP: 80 (Body 4)CREW: 2 SP: 40 (Armor 2)RANGE: 644 Km* TYPE: Med. HelicopterPASSENGERS: 0 MASS: 8 TonsCARGO: None COST: 650,000 eb

Special Equipment: Ejection seats for crew, fire extinguisher, chaffand flare dispensers, military radio, visual and radar rangefinders,auto-pilot and navigation system, active IR, light amplification, magne-tometer, radar with terrain following, thermograph.

Weapons: 23mm autocannon, targeting laser, and 30mm AutoGL(count as 40mm) in high-angle chin turret. Weapon wings hold up to16 spaces of pod weapons. 2 23mm magazines and 4 30mm maga-zines.

BRDM-1O Scout Car

The BRDM-10 is the USSR's current armored car, used for a multitude of roles(rather like the Hummer in the USA). It's rugged, fairly easy to maintain, and there arelots of them.

The crew sits in the hull.

TOP SPEED:ACC/DEC:CREW:RANGE:PASSENGERS:CARGO:

100 Kph25/65 Kph

2300 Km

214 Spaces(1.2 Tons)

MANEUVER:SDP:SP:TVPE:MASS:COST:

-290 (Body 3)

31 (Armor 2)Pickup

3.6 tons125,000 eb

Special Equipment: Off-road capability, amphibious, 2 IR smoke launchers,military radio, auto-pilot and navigation systems, passive IR, light amplifica-tion, armored searchlightWeapons: Pintle-mounted 14.5mm machinegun, with extra ammo as cargo.Note: The BRDM-10 serves as a base chassis for a number of other BRDMmodels. They are essentially BRDM-10s with armament modifications, anduse the same basic stats. Any statistic changes will be noted in the modifica-tion.

BRDM-11

This is the up-gunned "cannon" version of the BRDM scout car.

STATISTICS CHANGES: CARGO:CREW: 3PASSENGERS: None COST:

Special Equipment: Visual rangefinder.

12 Spaces(1 Ton)

140,000 eb

THE BRDM-10IS THE USSR'S

CURRENT.ARMORED CAR,

USED FOR AMULTITUDE OF

ROLES (RATHERLIKE THE

HUMMER IN THEUSA). IT'S

RUGGED, FAIRLYEASY TO MAIN-

TAIN, AND THEREARE LOTS OF

THEM.

COMMONBRDM TYPES:

BRDM-10SCOUT

BRDM-11CANNONBRDM-12

ANTI-TANKBRDM-13

ANTI-AIRCRAFT

Weapons: Stabilized 30mm cannon with stabilized coaxial 7.62mmmachinegun in turret. 2 magazines 30mm and 3 magazines 7.62mm inturret.

BRDM-1 2

This is the anti-tank version of the BRDM.

STATISTICS CHANGES: CARGO: 8 SpacesCREW: 4 (1 Ton)PASSENGERS: None COST: T70,000 eb

Special Equipment: Thermograph.Weapons: Reloadable LATGM and HATGM, 7.62mm machinegun, inturret. 9 HATGMs, 20 LATGMs (all have semi-active thermal guidance),4 magazines 7.62mm ammunition in hull.

BRDM-13

This is the anti-aircraft version of the BRDM. In the past Soviet AAA (anti-aircraftartillery) platforms were tracked vehicles. These more expensive machines havebeen replaced by the BRDM-13, which is used as the standard AAA platform ofthe USSR.

STATISTICS CHANGES: CARGO: 10 SpacesCREW: 4 (500 kg)PASSENGERS: None COST: 390,000 eb

Special Equipment: ECCM, military radar, multi-target.Weapons: Stabilized 23mm cannon with +2 targeting computer, 6VSAMs, 1x 23mm magazine, in high-angle turret.

For all your heavy equipmentand industrial needs on a bud-get, turn to KomKol. With aproud history of providing toSoviet peoples with AgriculturalTechnology, KomKol now stepsproudly forward to meet themechanized needs of the mod-ern world, bringing a much-needed tradition of durabilityand utilitarian simplicity that haslasted 40 years!

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ONE OFEUROPE'S BESTRATES THE TOPU.S. PROS.T his year's finest include some of

the old familiar faces, but time(and attrition) have given us

some great new faces as well. OnlySolo Of Fortune's prestigious reputa-tion allowed us to collect actual pho-tographs of some of our fine finalists.We hope you enjoy our third annualrogues' gallery.

HonorableMention(Posthumous!Mister X, Sniper andCyberSoldler

Few c-psychos or solos had thestyle of Mister X. Damn few hadboth style and a sense of dimin-

ished responsibility like Mister X. Hestarted out like so many others. He was

a looker, with much potential, so hewent government After three years as amechanized light fighter, he had twoarmored legs and an attitude. Upon hisreturn to the United States, Mister Xwent to work for the "Company", as ateam leader in the early-retirement divi-sion. Success followed in hit after hit,increasing his reputation in professionalcircles. He was seen at all the hip clubs,dated all the "wrong" people, didbondage calendars with the girls/boysat Sex & Guns Illustrated... What wentwrong? Who knows... Usually, whensomeone as professional as Mister Xgets a new mod, someone does at leasta cursory check of previous augmentsand modifications. Well, he knew therisks. That second set of implantweapons was too much. So he tankedup on jet fuel and went out shooting.Not a man to do anything halfway, he

targeted cops. It took thirty-five full-timeofficers and a four-state manhunt tobring down Mister X. Seventeen policeofficers were killed, and thirty otherswere wounded in the four-day ordeal.That level of skill (and that much raw tal-ent) deserves at least an honorablemention here. After all, they don't makethem like that anymore.

Joshua K.,Bodyguard& Assassin

T his newcomer is a mystery: out ofthe Night City underground andinto the spotlight. This young man

has appeared three times this year-and with a new face each time! First theassassination of Peter X, famed corpo-rate raider and founder of Sphere. Thiswas the picture of grace. Not only did

10•

Joshua hit the man twice in the face(preventing any attempts at resuscita-tion), he then leapt out a twelfth-storywindow to a waiting aerodyne, andsped into the rising sun.

Soon after, Joshua surfaced in PalmDesert as a replacement bodyguard forSlade McCallahan. This popular brain-dancer had gone through three alreadythis year, and tried for a fourth, butJoshua K. was a bit too fast for thewould-be assailants. After shatteringone's leg with a well-placed kick, hethen snapped the other's neck with hisbare hands. These joy-boys shouldhave thought twice before attemptingto make a name for themselves withJoshua K.

Number three was another big hitAs Joshua danced the night away atTampa's fashionable Blitz, he sidled upto the famous promoter, Vampyre Elton,and pulled him to the ground. All eyeswere on him. It seems that the famouspromoter's security was slacking off abit and Joshua was hired to "checkthings out" Everyone was surprised tosee Joshua and Elton together, andneedless to say, the security has beenreplaced. Joshua has obviously been abusy boy. We should see a lot more ofhim in the future.

INT: 9 REF: 10 TECH: 6COOL:8 ATT: varies LUCK: 9MA: 8 BOD: varies EMP: 5REP: 8 SA: 6

NOTES: Joshua usually leanstoward a fairly handsome (ATT 7+)and muscular (BOD 8+) biosculptHowever, he could look like any-one with enough surgery, even awoman! Definitely a hard man tokeep track of.

9 Tvikki,• Political

Activist &Bodyguard

Iadmit Tvikki is not a native of theUnited States, but this Russianwoman has definitely made herself

at home. Since her coming to Americain 2017, she has definitely earned thissolo's rising-star award. Allegedly bornin Kiev (or possibly Saint Petersburg),she has (also allegedly) served in theRussian VDV (analogous to America'sAirborne Rangers) for six years. Shethen went on a political bender acrossEurope. She has suspected relation-ships with terrorist groups ranging from

the old IRA to Red Brigade and the3000. She joined Kidrok's Carnival OfCarnage tour in Prague and neverlooked back. She has been personallycredited with the Raven Microcybbombing in Balsam (death toll 45), andthe Biotechnica hijacking (12 confirmedmiddle management deaths). She is astaunch anti-biotech terrorist with morethan a little style. We hope to see moreof her action.

INT: 7 REF: 11/12 TECH: 7COOL: 7 ATT: 7 LUCK: 7MA: 7 BOD: 9 EMP: 9/7REP: 8 SA: 7NOTES: Adrenal Booster, +1 REF(transform virus, see Deep Space).

8 Susan• Forrest,

NorCalStateExecutioner

D o not get convicted of a capitalcrime in the Free State ofNorthern California. Susan

Forrest is one of the toughest Solosthere is, and she loves her work I per-sonally would have rated her a bit high-er, but she only does one thing. Shehunts and kills fugitives with a zeal thatcan only be described as religous.Having actually been chased by her onone occasion, I feel her effectiveness ismatched only by her good looks. Withover twenty confirmed executions last

year, that is no small amount of goodlooks. We at Solo are pleased toannounce that she is possibly the newcommander of the U.S. Marshal'sService Special Crimes Unit. Salud! Wehope you do well.

PS. See you next time.

INT: 7 REF: 9 TECH: 6COOL:9 AH: 7 LUCK:7MA: 6 BOD: 8 EMP: 9/4REP: 8 SA: 7NOTES: This woman is one of themost heavily armed people inAmerica. Her job descriptionrequires it! She usually carries anassault rifle with grenade launcher,a sidearm (or two) and an SMG.Please kids— don't try this at home.

7 Shaitan• Freelance

Anti-Corporate

T here are a lot of people outthere gunning for the corps. Itseems that you can't swing a

dead cat without hitting some corpo-rate hate-group or another. Most arefairly general. They want to destroyMediaCorps, or AgriCorps. They wantto save the environment, or the whalesor something. Few hate a specificcompany (at least none of the largeand vocal groups), and even fewerhave personal reasons. Even so, itseems that Shaitan has a thing forArasaka.

He will take any job he can getaway with, but it must be againstArasaka, and it must have serious col-lateral damage possibilities. In the lastfew years Shaitan has gone from agood Solo with a reasonable reputa-tion, to a great Solo with a phenome-nal success record.

Shaitan has made the destructionof all things Arasaka paramount in hismind. He will not use Arasaka prod-ucts, nor will he work with those whodo. He accomplishes whatever mis-sion he is hired for, then spends therest of his time trashing Saburo's

around), +10 SDP (total of 30 all-around). Audio add Level Damper,Sound Editing. Optics add ImageEnhancement and Tele-Optics.Legs add Heavy Pistol (hiddenholster), and MML Arms addDigital Recorder, Techscanner,Electronics Toolkit WeaponsToolkit Shaitan has also gotten alot of therapy.

"stuff." He has even been known tooccasionally create or modify jobs justso he can destroy Arasaka property.Why? No one is sure. It has beenadvanced that Shaitan's mother (orother close female relative) was onceviolated by a member of the Arasakafamily (probably Saburo). He hashoned his mind and rebuilt his bodyfor this task only. His type of single-handed crusade would be laughable,had he not managed to somehowelude capture and accomplish theseobjectives for over three years. I hopeSaburo sleeps with the lights on.

INT: 8 REF: 15 TECH: 8COOL:9 ATT: N/A LUCK: 6MA: 20 BOD: 12 EMP: 9/3/7REP: 8 SA: 8NOTES: Eclipse Covert OperationsFull-Conversion (Chromebook 2pgs. 71,72) with added +2 REF(total of 15), +7 MA (total of 20),Shielding, +5 SP (total of 30 all-

6 Racer• Chiba,

ACPATrooper

N ow this is something we atSOF have never done before.Most of the purists over here

don't really consider Troopers to be"real" Solos. I mean, it just seems sounfair to put an operative in a armoredsuit with tons of armor, direct-fire elec-tronics, tactical weapons—and thencall it finesse. We were wrong. RacerChiba is head and shoulders abovemost solos, and he's re-educated uswell!

There is no real background onChiba. Stories range from the vat-grown ninja-assassin story (someonehas been reading those old Gibson

novels again), to the "he is the messi-ah" angel-o'-death story. All are juststories. It was my privilege to person-ally interview Racer Chiba for this arti-cle. He is human. He did have a fami-ly. He was not raised by wolves,demons, or angels (of whatever per-suasion). This is the story in a nutshell.

Racer Chiba was born in the wildsof East Los Angeles sometime beforethe Collapse. He had a normal child-hood, was educated to some degree,and then joined the Army. He servedin the SouthAm during the worst of itand went c-psycho as the war waswinding down. Oddly enough, he washospitalized, recovering just in time forthe "Long Walk." Instead of making thetrek, he joined Jon Meta and others informing MetaCorp. Eventually, hebecame the test-pilot for the Jacksuitprogram. Consequently, he is theworld's most experienced ACPATrooper! After the JackSuit Divisionwas sold to Militech, Chiba went free-lance. His full-cryo' custom ACPA isone of the finest designs in the world,and incorporates features that (nowthat I understand what Troopers do)should be on every suit, (see pg. 64 forstats).

Racer Chiba came to this Solo'sattention when he single-handedlyextracted Mr. David Sato from theRaven MicroCyb facility at Evergreen,Colorado. After careful satellite recon-naissance Chiba dropped in at night,alone. He subdued a number ofguards, defeated an excellent elec-tronic security system, and abductednot only Sato, but his lover as well. Thiswas an amazing operation. The pickup,by Aerodyne Limousine, Ltd. was theperfect conclusion to a perfect job.

INT: 10 REF: 9 TECH: 9COOL: 10 ATT: 6 LUCK: 6MA: 8 BOD: 5 EMP: 8/5REP: 8 SA: 8NOTES: Neural w/plugs (3 sets),tactile boost, w-link, v-link, m-link,d-link.

S he could be America's sweet-heart; it is too bad that she hatesto have her picture taken. Jenni

Flexx is number five. The personalescort of Jesuit rocker and media icon,Jack Maxximum, for the last threeyears, she has averted three assassi-nation attempts (one by taking theshots herself, eight rounds!), one kid-napping and various harassments.Jenni is a driven woman and a fineSolo, but she needs some morebreadth in her career to be a real num-ber-one contender.

Handling security for theJustifiable Homicide's Long Walk tour,previous to her tenure with Jack, was afeather in her cap. The entire band didsixteen cities in the U.S., while fleeingseveral federal investigations, and nota single casualty. Her previous workand training is still somewhat of a mys-tery. Rumors abound that she onceeither worked under CIA auspices in

Europe, or she served in the SouthAm(as a SEAL or Sniper). She could notbe reached for comment, but only herbiosculptor knows how old she reallyis. This woman knows how to lookinnocent. The pig-tails, blazer, plaidskirt and knee socks really do it for me.

INT: 8 REF: 9/TO TECH: 7COOL: 9 ATT: 10 LUCK: 6MA: 8 BOD: 6 EMP: 8/4REP: 7 SA: 8NOTES: Adrenal booster, neural w/smartlink, datalink, plugs, chipsock-et; lifesaver skinweave, rippers(both); midnite lady; optic (right) w/image enh, lowlite, TGT, antidazzle.

4 John• Jones,

"Manhunter"

J ohn Jones does not exist. I havecombed databases, exhausted aformidable expense account, and

called in a lot of favors. The result: Noone has ever met him, or all refuse toadmit it. What am I saying—I have film.John Jones is famous. He hunts andcaptures people for a living, his spe-cialty is lost children and cyberpsy-chos, but no one knows how to con-tact him or where he frequents in hisoff-time.

I have managed to concoct a storyfrom police and eyewitness reports.Evidently, Jones lost his entire familyduring Martial Law; he loathes the gov-

5 Jenni• Flexx,

Bodyguard

ernment, and he helps others whosefamilies are in less dire straits staytogether. To date, he has rescued thir-ty kidnapped or missing children, sixcyberpsychos, and five or six drugaddicts. He seems to simply appear. Itis my guess that he has a massive net-work of people who owe him a greatnumber of favors.

He was not trained by any militaryor corporation. He may have been amember of a gang or some criminalorganization, but all bets are off.

INT: 7 REF: 10 TECH: 6COOL: 10 ATT: 5 LUCK: 8MA: 8 BOD: 14 EMP: 10REP: 7 SA: 7NOTES: Muscle/bone lace; graftedmuscle; skinweave

3 Lance• Rock

R ock-star sex-toy he is, but Lanceis also a damn fine Solo. He hasworked for everyone who is

anyone, has been mentioned in songs,and has a new workwear line fromGibson Battlegear. It certainly is a longway from the Italian westerns he usedto star in.

Lance Rock is a nom de guerre. Itis fairly certain he is of western U.S.origin, probably Utah. Being raised inthe very conservative state of Utah(and probably as a Mormon) wouldexplain his rampant fetish for younggirls (any girls, really). After joining theMarines, and serving two boring tourson the USS Abraham Lincoln, he wasready for a change. When Hollywoodslid into the ocean it was never able toreclaim its glory as movie capital of thewestern world. A young (and good-looking) ex-Marine, Lance adopted his"stage name" and went east toNashville. He began his career as aSolo on the set of the remake of For AFew Dollars More. A group of Nomads,hoping to make a political statementabout human rights, attempted to kid-

nap the entire cast. Lance, with thehelp of the film's security guards, anni-hilated the entire group (sixteen in all).After westerns died out again in 2014,Lance went to work as a security guardfor Penny Prurient. This was also thebeginning of his reputation as a wom-anizer. Not only did she end up gettingkilled in bed (where he was noticeablyabsent on that day), she had in aninterview earlier proclaimed undyinglove for him, and in private named himas beneficiary in her will.

After Patty died, Lance went towork for the all-girl band CheapDates. At one time or another he wasphotographed in various states ofundress with all seven; while that mayhave been rigged to get the girls in thepaper, it did work. His other incidentsare too numerous to name, includingthe seduction of Jesse Gsturm inGstaad and the assassination of theKarl von Furstenberg poser, but thisyear he distinguished himself again.

Chanel and Versace have warredjust below the surface for almost thirtyyears now. Admittedly, the shootingonly started in 2010, but there areother ways to wage war. Julia Fixx isthe hottest model of the decade. Herangular facial features, counterpointedby her stunning body, has put the wo!back in woman. So when she signed alifetime exclusive with Versace, Chanelwas massively upset. After trying—andfailing—to establish a new icon for theAmerican market, Chanel decided todo business the old-fashioned way.

They attempted an extraction. Nowextracting a model is one of the mostdifficult tasks in our industry. I know,because I did one. Not only is the tar-get vulnerable to attack from theother side, your employer takes apoor view of any damage the targetmight suffer.

Not only did Lance Rock success-fully extract Julia, he did it by seduc-tion and deceit. He dated her for twomonths before the fall show in Paris.On the evening before the show, thetwo dined at the still-fashionableHarry's Bar. After brandy, he shot herbodyguard, and was greeted warmlyby Chanel representatives. Not onlywas this a terrible embarrassment toVersace, their show was postponedfor an entire day (so they could alterthe outfits that Ms. Fixx was to wear).

This will almost definitely ruinLance's career—he will never betrusted by anyone again (especiallyJulia Fixx). We are always sad to seesomeone like him go, but we hear hehas a three-movie deal withLucasfilm54...such is life.

INT: 8 REF: 9 TECH: 7COOL: 10 ATT: 10 LUCK: 7MA: 7 BOD: 6/10 EMP: 10/9REP: 8 SA: 9NOTES: Muscle grafts; musclebone lace; lifesaver skinweave;toxin binders; nanosurgeons

2 Captain• Andrew"Boa Boa"Weyland ,PetroChemWaterLeopards

O ne of the most feared Solosin the corporate world,Andrew Weyland has worked

for PetroChem for almost five years.The Water Leopards had a consider-able reputation even before goingover to PetroChem. Extractions andassassination are the favorite pas-

times of this hearty crew. AndrewWeyland is a great leader, and hishandpicked team of stalwarts havenever failed to complete a job. He hassurvived personal confrontations withMorgan, Jenni Flex, and John Jones(no slouch at hand-to-hand combat),but his experience is too specific for anumber-one slot. The Water Leopardshave suffered setbacks—they lost twoof their original twelve members lastyear, allegedly due to corporateinfighting and poor intelligence. If thisis true, then we may see the Leopardsgo freelance again soon. Who knows,maybe Boa Boa (so called because ofhis snake tattoo and eye modifica-tions) is a possible number-one con-tender next year!

INT: 8 REF: 10 TECH: 6COOL: 1O ATT: 5 LUCK: 3MA: 1O BOD: 10/12 EMP: 8/3REP: 10 SA: 1ONOTES: Light tattoo; neural w/chip-socket, smartlink, plugs, Kerenzikov

+2; muscle/bone lace; wolvers(both hands); optics (both) w/colorshift, TGT, LowLite, TimesSquare

1 Morgan• Blackhand

S till the Solo's Solo, with no hintof stopping now. Morgan is still,and (in my personal opinion)

will always be, number one. Theentire profession was improved bythe release of The Enforcer'sHandbook (over one million copiesaudited to date). It is obvious thatthough Morgan may have taughtmany professionals all they know, it isnot all that the master knows.

Morgan's handling of incidents,like the attempted kidnapping ofKerry Eurodyne last year, show thetouch of the master. It is interesting tonote that all five of the kidnapperswere captured by Morgan (alone),and turned over to FederalAuthorities. They were bruised, bat-tered and beaten, but alive. Any Solocan kill, but only a master likeBlackhand can eliminate a threat andembarrass the group's sponsors. Still,embarrassing a huge company likeDMS can't make it any easier on yourcareer. It is possible that Morgan'sprofile may make him less employ-able soon. We certainly hope not.

"IT USED TO BE THATBEING A 'SOLO'

MEANT SOMETHING.YOU WERE A BREED

APART, A LONEHUNTER IN THE

DEPTHS OF NIGHTEDCITY STREETS. NOW,EVERY GONK WITH A

BIG GUN AND ACHIPPED-IN

ATTITUDE THINKSHE'S A SOLO."

-MORGAN BLACKHAND

INT: 9 REF: TO TECH: 8COOL: 10 ATT: 8 LUCK: TOMA: 8 BOD: 12 BMP: 4REP: 10 SA: 9NOTES: These ratings are estimates;no agency has ever precisely quanti-fied Mr. Blackhand.

About TheAuthor:

J uan-Paul "RipperDoc" Duvalier isthe pseudonym of a very respect-ed Solo employed by the Berlin

Industrial Group. J-Paul has served inmost of Europe, Asia, and the UnitedStates. His affiliation with the Eurosolo"fraternity" known as the "Angels" isdenied by the author.

INT: 10 REF: 1O TECH: 7COOL:8 ATT: 9 LUCK: 1OMA: 8 BOD: 8 EMP: 1OREP: 7 SA: 8NOTES: No cyberware.BattleGloves with wolvers (both),MML (left), 11mm pop-up (left)

For fifteen years. Tsunami has been providing clients withthe finest in high-tech, experimental, and customized

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the finest in technology, design, and accuracy !Raimei (Thunderclap)Ramjet pistolFollowing close, on the heels of oursuccessful Ramjet Rifle is the Raimeipistol. Designed for urban combatagainst PA suits and Borgs, theRaimei fires a slightly larger 10mmbullet; this design- allows for fasteracceleration to full speed, but a lowerrange to avoid damaging incidentals.The Raimei comes standard with aMaboroshi smartgun link or Zeiss-NikonCOT, but can also be equipped with theexperimental Zetatech Super-Safe™targeting link, which essentiallyreduces the chances of a miss to almost zero. The weaponis also equipped with security chipping to prevent unau-thorized use.

Tsunami Arms Raimei Ramjet pistol (1,100eb) (3,200eb for COTequipped variant)PIST •+2 • L • P• 10mm ramjet • 6 • 2 • VR • 100mThe 10mm ramjet does 5d6 at Close range, 6d6+3 at Medium, 7d6 atLong range, and 7d6+1 at Extreme range. Each round costs 30 eb; oneloaded dip is included in the cost of the gun.The optional Zetatech smartgun link costs an additional 5,000 Euro, andmust be installed in the factory (i.e., when ordered), to ensure proper align-ment and accurizing. When used, the operator (who must own a smartlink,cyberoptic, Times Square Plus, and targeting option) must first designate atarget; this takes one round (10 seconds); Afterwards, the weapon will onlyfire if the user has achieved a "hit" on a designated target; roll the to-hit roll(WA+3(smartgun plus targeting)+REF+Skill), and if the shot would havemissed, the weapon simply fails to fire (except on a critical failure). Becauseof a delay in image processing, movement modifiers have an additional -2added against the Zetatech link (i.e., a moving target with a REF of 11would be at a -6 to be hit with this link). Up to ten targets can be designat-ed by the user and stored indefinitely, but only one per round.Game Notes: The Zetatech link is essentially Stutterchipping in reverse;instead of not firing at friendlies (but shooting at everyone else), the Super-safe link only fires at hostiles (but won't shoot at anything else). The soft-ware and image databases are stored in the smartgun array, rather than inthe user's chipware. It's expensive, but worth it for those who don't want togo shooting up the whole neighborhood. Of course, people with real pistolskill might be better off ignoring the Zetatech link

Tsunami

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PIST • +3 • L • P • 2H6+3 • 5.2mm ET • 24 • 3 • VR • 75m5.2mm ammo costs 50eb per box of 50. A battery (good for 50 shots) is10eb.The Express isn't really designed to be concealable; The "L" is being gener-ous, but if someone changes the grip (dropping the WA to +2, costsI25eb), it can be done. Because of the barrel compensator's design, thisgun cannot be fitted with a suppressor.Game Notes: The Express is a racegun, not a combat monster, and itsdesign reflects that; lots of satin polished chrome steel, real wood grips,125lpi checkering on the grips and frontstrap. The battery is loaded into theback of the gun, under the partial slide; clip is in the pistol grip. The woodgrips feature a wrist support and ergonomic design. COT scope is attachedto the frame, ahead of the slide. There are three adjustable weights underthe barrel in front; overall length of the gun is 14".

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DESTROY ALL FLESH!!A Metalhead Solo Speaks His Transplanted Mind

New york, New york—the city sonice they trashed it twice. This ismy stomping ground, so step

lightly. Seeing as how I'm a fully-cybernet-ic Street Samurai, you really don't want tocross swords with me. yes, I am livingproof that metal is better than meat! In thesix years I've been bloodletting and brain-spilling in this hellhole, I've taken downboosterpunks, powered armor, corporatehit men, children, ground-attack chop-pers, sword-wielding ninja and assortedbreeds of cyberpets. yes, the life of a full'borg Solo is a fulfilling one indeed. I get

plenty of work and I swear at this rate I'llrid this city of its fleshy infection within,oh—say, fifteen years.

Most of you reading this are compe-tent, skillful professionals who know howto fight and how to kill, you might eventhink you couldn't get very much better.Let me tell you—thats wrong, meat-heads! I used to be a pretty tough cus-tomer, back in my meat days. Mom wasRussian, dad was from the South Bronx,and I was the meanest kid on my block.I was the leader of my neighborhoodcombat gang during the Collapse days

By Adam Smasher(we'd rumble in what was left of YankeeStadium), and when the Army finallykilled off the last of my bloodboys, Isigned right up. (I wasn't stupid—the mil-itary had WAy better guns than we did!)Six years as a Marine taught me a lot,and when I was kicked out("Insubordination" they called it yeah,right.) I took up the life of a StreetSamurai back in my hometown. I'vebeen here in the Rotten Apple eversince, but things have changed. Oh yeah.

Extractions, assassinations, harass-ment and demolitions jobs came and

went, and I made some good euro, but Ididn't realize that my bones and muscleswere holding me back! Not until that cor-porate "reverse engineering" op. See,some bigwig corp (who'll remain anony-mous, you know the drill) had hired meand a couple other pros to snatch a pro-totype gizmo from a competitor. Imustve fired off 300 rounds of 7.62 dur-ing that op, but a couple of well-placedRPG-A warheads kinda put a damper onan otherwise profitable job.

The docs said I was flatlined for overeight minutes before they got me (mybrain, at least) stabilized. I found out mymeat had been stewed in the op, but myteammates had brought what was left ofmy carcass back,,,in a backpack, forchrissakes! 'Round that time I realized Iwas getting all my input through inter-face—turned out most of my sensoryorgans (you know: eyes, ears, skin...)were gel on some corporate installa-tion's walls. The corp who'd sent me onthis op in the first place gave me a tastyproposition: They figured I'd just walkedinto some bad luck and they liked myresume, performance record, skill, goodlooks and all that Anyway, they offeredfull body conversion in return for a 15-year employment contract

Now you gotta remember that I had-n't yet figured out the true meaning of"metal is better than meat" at this pointSure, I knew that a few plugs, chips,cyberlimbs and stuff were real useful in ascuffle. I could never have afforded fullconversion, so I never even consideredit But there I was, grey matter in a life-support tank, and I knew if I said "no" tothe corpse (thats CORPorate SecurityExpert to you) I was 'faced with, he'd pullthe plug and I'd be tomorrow morning'sbodybank special. What would you do,tough guy?

Turned out to be the best decision Iever made, you want strong? How aboutusing a 10OOcc racing bike as an impro-vised melee weapon? you want fast? Howabout sparring with three black belts atonce—with one arm servo removed? youwant tough? How about the time I gotshot point blank in the chest with a 40mmgrenade? It knocked me off the roof of thebuilding, and I fell nine stories onto the

roof of a garbage truck! There was a 40-percent crater in the scow's roof, but I ranback up the building's stairs and punchedthe soldier's head off when I got to thegonk! Not too shabby, I think

Like I said, I can't tell you all who Iwork for, but they sure keep me busy. I'musually put on offensive field duty, harass-ing the competition, but sometimes (if themeatheads at internal security are slack-ing) I'm put on retrieval missions. I've hadto chase down and kill off quite a fewteams of edgerunners who made the mis-take of breaking into and stealing from theNew york branch office. This is wherebeing a full 'borg really pays off.

FOR THISPARTICULAR

HUNT, I'DREPLACED MY

LEFT FOREARMWITH A TSUNAMI

ARMS HELIXGATLING

SHOTGUN,BELT-FED FROM A

BACK-HOUSED500-ROU1VD

AMMO-HOPPER.

I remember one time a team of pret-ty talented specwar types managed tomake off with some of the company's keyfiles. I'd wasted two early on, but the lasttarget (clever little meatgirl) managed toget into a mallplex through the backdoorbefore I could nail her. Let me take amoment here to explain the beauty of

continued on page 69

Tsunami Arms Helix[3OOOeb]

SHG•+0 •N•P •10-Ga/5D6•60 • 43 • VR • 60m • BOD Min: 18

This massive weapon is arguablyone of the most devastating smallarms for close-range house-to-housecombat—a hex-barreled galling shot-gun which fires binary 10-gaugeshells at 1300 rounds per minute!About three feet in length, the gun'ssix barrels are all a respectable 18"long. The Helix has an inclined rearpistolgrip as well as a top-mountedfore-handle; it has no stock, since ftwas built to be fired "from the hip." Toaid in aiming, there is a top-mountedlaser-sighting system with adjustablepattern-matching capability. TheHelix is constructed of high-techcomposites and lightweight alloys,and weighs 15kg. Its projectiles con-sist of conventional 10-gauge slugsor packages of shot or flechettesstored in a synthetic canister. Theammo feed, centrally locatedbeneath the tubular body of the gun,accepts either a belt feed or a boxmagazine which contains an amplesupply of binary propellant andstores 60 projectiles; a rotor in thefeed aligns the projectiles as it loadsthem. The weapon's binary propel-lant eliminates the bulk of a stabiliz-ing element in its ammunition, andinstead uses two gasses whichseperately are stable, but are volatilewhen injected into the ignition cham-ber. The design of the Helix keepsthe line of recoil low and in line withthe grip to lessen muzzle climb onfull auto, and the six barrels, all rotat-ing around a central axis, have long,flared muzzles with four compensa-tion ports each. This, combined withthe weapon's recoil operation, allowsfor relatively controllable autoflre.The sound made by the Helix is dis-tinct: a heavy, metallic scream.

Recoil in Cyberpunk is determined primarily by the dam-age delivered by the weapon. This value is cross-refer-enced with the size of the weapon, the nature of theammunition and the rate of fire. All these factors, whencalculated together, grant a number (called a BODYMinimum) to which the character firing the weapon mustcompare their BOD stat If the character's BOD is >= hisweapon's BOD Min, he may fire it without penalty; if thecharacter's BOD is at least 2 points greater than a semi-auto weapon's BOD Min, he may fire it at an ROF of 2rather than 1. However, if the firer's BOD is < the BODMin, all penalties are based on a number equal to thefirer's BOD minus the weapon's BOD Min (referred to asthe "D-fac", or Difference Factor).

Recoil penalties are as follows: If the firer's BOD is <his weapon's BOD Min, he may only fire the weapon atan ROF of 1/2, with WA reduced by -2 per 1 point of D-fac, and must make a (BOD+Strength FeoN-1 D10) roll vs.the (BOD Min x2). If this roll is failed, the firer takes 1point of damage per point of D-fac to his firing arm; crit-ical failure means that the weapon is also dropped.

Example: Sid has a BOD of 8, and is packing a Denby7710 "Ox-Dropper" revolver (.477 caliber, 5D6 damage).5[max damage 30/6] x2thandgunl =10, so Sid's "D-fac"is 2; he can fire the gun once every other turn, at -4 WA,and may take 2 points of damage to his hand from shoot-ing the damn thing!

Remember, recoil is a one-time calculation—onceyou've determined a weapon's BOD Min, make a note ofit somewhere. In order to prevent complications, anyweapon with a BOD Min of 9 or less is assumed to befirable by anyone (don't worry, all you BOD 6 characterscan still fire your Colt-AMT M2000's). If the players and

refs wish, they may use the BOD Min restrictions for allweapons, including those of less than 10. Choose yourweapons carefully!

EXAMPLE RECOIL RATINGS:Pocket Tsunami 25mm HiVel Pistol (ROF 2): Min BOD 23!12.7mm Gatling w/harness (ROF 100): Min BOD 18.MK19 40mm HiVel AGL (ROF 3 or 20): Min BOD 16-18.ASP 30mm Autocannon w/harness (ROF 10): Min BOD 16.HIVE Gatling w/harness (ROF 120); 10-Gauge"Pistol"/5D6 (ROF 2): Min BOD 15.ASP 20mm w/harness (ROF 10): Min BOD 14.12-Gauge Pistol (ROF 2); Malorian 3516 and ACPA14mm Pistol (ROF 1): Min BOD 12.Plamya 30mm AGL (ROF 1 or 10): Min BOD 7-12.Browning .50 M2 (ROF 10-20): Min BOD 11-12.EMG-85 Railgun (ROF 1/2): Min BOD 11.Minlgun (ROF 100-200): Min BOD 10-11.Tsunami 25mm AGL (ROF 1/3/5): Min BOD 10.Militech Crusher SSG; Super Chief .454 Casull: Min BOD 9.Budgetarms Laser-Niner (ROF 20); Militech CyborgRifle (ROF 20): Min BOD 8.Oni Autoshotgun (ROF 20); Franchi King Buck (ROF 4);25mm Bulldog Auto GL (ROF 3); Militech AM-3 (ROF1): Min BOD 7.FN-RAL (ROF 30); H&K MP2013 (ROF 32); Barrett Light50 (ROF 1); M203 40mm Underbarrel GL (ROF 1);S&W Tri-Star (ROF 1): Min BOD 6.Soviet 30mm Underbarrel GL (ROF 1); Colt-MauserM2X(ROF 1): Min BOD 5.Barrett-Arasaka Light-20 (ROF 1); Militech Mini-GL25mm (ROF 1): Min BOD 4.

BASE BOD MIN:D6 weapons = (Max Damage/6).D10 weapons = (Max Damage/5).

MODIFIERS (MULTIPLY ALL MODS TOGETHER):1-handed (Handgun) = x2.02-handed, no brace* (some SMGs & shotguns) = xl.O*2-handed & brace* (Rifles, MGs, other SMGs/Shotguns) = xO.5"Area Effect (Shotguns** & GLs**) = xl.5*EAP(Railguns) = x1.8ROF 1-3 (Semiauto) = xl.O.ROF3-15 = x1.75

RECOIL FACTORSROF 16-30 - x2.0ROF 31-60 = x2.5ROF 61-120 = x3.0ROF 121+ = x3.5*Brace = Stock, Arm Brace, Shoulder Strap, Harness,Sling, Mono-/Bi-/Tripod, Gyro-Mount, etc."Shotguns use Shot damage; GLs use {(diameter inmm)/5] xD6 for max damage; High-pressure/high-veloc-ity Grenades (for Auto-GLs) are x1.5A Cyberarm acts as BOD 12 for pistol recoil purposes only.A Powered Exo-Mount has BOD 18 for recoil purposes only.

continued from page-67being a True 'Borg (as I like to call myself):meat Solos, even enhanced ones, canonly handle weapons of a "small arms"level before flash, recoil and backblast turntheir pathetic skeletons to kibble. Now forthis particular hunt, I'd replaced my leftforearm with a Tsunami Arms Helix gatlingshotgun, belt-fed from a back-housed500-round ammo-hopper. This thing'srecoil would've been murder (literally) tome back when I was a 108kg meatheadbad boy in the Marines, but my currenthigh-impact plasteel frame turns the bar-rage of recoil into a comfy massage. Thepoint is, if I'd been a meathead Solo whenI was chasing down this corpcrime weasel,I would've needed a Minigun to clear thatmall—and if I'd been packing a Minigun Inever would've been able to keep up withthe target in the first place!

Lucky for me, I had full metal on myside. I caught up with the creep just as sheentered that main hall of the mallplex. I'dbeen right behind her, so I knew shecouldn't have had time to get out of theSaturday afternoon crowds and make useof an escalator or elevator. She was justhidden in the crowd somewhere-Sweeping the screaming whirlwind of theHelix back and forth across the hall, my500 rounds of 10-packed frag flechettescut the crowd real fast (Why not? I'mnever marked with any corporate tags, col-ors or logos when I'm on an outside job,and I always fit a different facemask eachtime I deploy.) A quick scan of the bodiesfound me the meatgirl, all pureed, so Ipulled the disks off her and vanished. Lovethat Environmental Assimilation system.

Dummy FacemasksSince there are only a limited

number of Full Conversion modelsout there, individual 'borgs often goin for detachable faceplates to grantpersonalized features. They cost any-where from 25eb for a cheap, prima-ry-colored one to 5OOeb for a fullyarmored custom design. If you havea different one in place each timeyou go out on an op, who's gonna beable to figure out who you are? Slick,neh?

Of course life as a True 'Borg isn'tjust mowing down civilians, despite mybest wishes, you can still get killed offpretty easily if the opposition's packingmilitary-level hardware; one HLAW andyou can pretty much kiss your armor-plated hinder sayonara. But hey! Onceagain cyber-technology comes to therescue! See, there are these clever"blokes" in England somewhere who'vecome up with what they call ReactiveBody Armor. No, its not the kind thatexplodes off when its hit! RBA is a suit offlexible body armor which is riddled withlaser sensors; when someone's targeting

you with a laser-aimed weapon, the RBAalerts you through your interface plugs.Believe it or not, this stuff is so efficientthat it actually allows you to dodgeincoming bullets if you're boosted (asany good True Borg should be)! No drek!The beauty is, Cybermatrix is now mak-ing Reactive Body Plating for FullConversions. It does the same thing, butits built into your frame. 'Course it meansyou gotta go into combat without wear-ing fatigues, but so what? Extra armornever layers well with body plating, andwhatve we got to be modest about?Lemme tell you, my RBP has saved my

-̂»True Borgs—Learn, the ArtCreated Especially For You!The PanzerFaust (translates literally into "armor fist") martial art is a cut-

ting-edge warfare application system. Designed specifically for True Borgs,PanzerFaust allows total exploitation of our superior physical abilities!Additionally, the vast jumping and leaping range common to Full Borgs allowsus to perform long-distance kicks and inhuman dodges. If trapped with a hold,our flexibility and additional range of motion allow escape maneuvers impos-sible for men or Powered Armor. (Some fellow metalheads can spin theirhands like propellers and even rotate their torsos 360 degrees!) The effectsof full-speed, charging strikes are devastating, with penetration like a shotgunslug! Be taught the best, by the best! Join the Iron Tiger Dojo today.

Warning—your body must undergo slight modification, involving magneti-cally-coated joints for full-range, high-speed motion; and specially-hardenedplates installed on all striking surfaces (costing only 4000eb).

Iron Tiger Dojo in the Upper Marina district. Off Sterling St., upstairs fromthe American Bar. Night City, CA. Cash payments only, please.

Game Notes: Damage bonus is 1.5x the Martial Arts skill level, dueto the blinding speed and structural strength of full-borgs. Leaping attacks |receive +1D6 per 3m of leap performed. The attack is AP (SP is 1 /2; dam-age penetrating hard armors is normal).

Only Full-body Conversions can use PanzerFaust ; the structuralstresses involved would do tremendous damage to muscles and bones ina flesh body. PanzerFaust cannot be chipped. This combat art relies soheavily upon speed that the time required to access chipware would ruineffectiveness; this skill must be taught. Also, if a 'borg learns PanzerFaust,because it requires constant training and practice, it's the only martial arthe can learn and use. Any previously-learned Martial Arts or Melee skillsmust be forgotten, and their skill points are lost.PANZERFAUST (5):Strike Punch Kick Disarm Sweep Block

+3 +3 +1Dodge Grapple Throw Hold Choke Escape Ram+3 +3 +1 - - +4 +3

chassis on more than one blood-splat-tered occasion.

Cybermatrix™ ReactiveBody PlatingHC=1D6, Surgery=MA, Cost=6,000eb. In game terms, RBP allowsthe Full 'Borg with REF higher than 10to actually dodge attacks made bylaser-aimed weapons (lasersights andsrnartguns). The attacker must roll vs.the Full 'Borg's REF+Dodge+1D10instead of against Range DifficultyNumbers. This is new, hard-to-findcyberware; it is not restricted, but it isPoor availability.

I HEARMAGNUM OPUS

IS WORKING ONAN .88 MAGNUM

VERSION. ICANT WAIT.

As a True 'Borg, you also discoverthat you can finally put all those wannabeposer solopunks in their place. Howmany times have you gotten into a "myhandgun is the world's most powerfuland yours isn't' argument? Well, its nolonger an issue when you're full metal. Acouple months ago, I wound up in justsuch an argument with some porky whoinsisted that his wimpy 3516 couldn't bebeat I laughed in his face, which he tookto mean that I didn't have a better argu-ment But I did. I dragged my MagnumOpus Hellbringer outta my overcoat andHunked it on the table in front of hisgawking face. The stainless steel, 4kgrevolver made his jaw hang open and hiseyes cross. He just kept drooling as Ishowed him its three .666 Magnumsteel-cased cartridges. It was a truly sadsight, so I shot that stupid expression rightoff his face. That brought him to his sens-es. I remember his head was just a bal-loon full of blood to my Hellbringer. I hear

Magnum Opus is working on an .88Magnum version. I can't wait

Magnum Opus"Hellbringer".666 MagnumRevolver (4,000eb)P • +1 • J/L • P • 7D6+3 (.666Mag) • 3 • 1 • VR • 80m • BODMin: 15

A massive double-action revolver, thishuge weapon holds only three roundsin its solid titanium-steel cylinder, buteach one is a .666 Magnum man-killer. It's a break-action design,engaged by a left-side thumb button.Each of the three steel-cased shellsholds one .666-caliber lead slugwhich hits harder than most Magnumor Nitro Express hunting rifles! Theserounds will put even the toughestarmor to shame. The entire handgunis composed of steel and ultra-stronghybrid alloys (except for the ergonom-ic combat-style grips, which are madeof neoprene), and the ported barrelhas a heavy, full-length underlug forbalance. While the Hellbringer comeswith no fancy electronics, most own-ers supplement the blade-type sightswith at least a laser sight; with onlythree shots, you have to make eachone count!

Being a True 'Borg can be goodclean fun, if you're a loose enough guy(like me). Slamdance, Inc. recently beganmarketing a close-combat weapon forFull 'Borgs only, and ifs stylish, fun, andpretty damn effective. See, I'd beenordered to off the head of security forour primary competitors, and I was sup-posed to make a statement with this job(yep, the losers in Security were slackingoff again, and Mister Head of Security forthe Other Guys got the drop on us). Well,I eventually found this guy and corneredhim in the underground parking lot of hisritzy-ass conapt I decided I'd let him getin one good hit before I dispatched him;I knew it wouldn't amount to squatagainst me anyway, so I waited for him totake his best shot Thing was, he was so

scared that he froze, so I got impatientand took My best shot instead. I pulledout my brand new Slamdance, Inc.Hyper Hammer and fired it full-on into hissolar plexus. The fat slob's whole ribcagecaved in, some of his organs jumpedoutta his mouth (I couldn't identifythem—I was busy) and I crushed in thedriver's side of his Beemer like it was tin-foil. How sweet it was! The best part wasthat I'd had our company's logoembossed in reverse on the striking endof the hammer, so this dead, inside-outcorpcop had our logo permanentlymolded into his body! It was a realscream.

Slamdance, Inc.Hyper Hammer(2000eb)

MEL • -2 • L • R • 9D10AP • 2 •1 • ST • 2m

This is a close-combat weapondesigned especially for Full 'Borgs. Itis a heavy, solid-tungsten sledge-hammer designed with ergonomiccombat grips, spiked knuckle guardsand a thumb switch-activated rocketbooster built into the back of thehammer's head. When fired, therockets blast the hammer around atnear-supersonic speed, deliveringunheard-of wound potential.Damage ignores soft armor andreduces it 2 levels, and hard armoronly counts as 1/2SP and is reduced1D6+4 levels. The Hyper Hammermay be used two times before need-ing to be refueled (with jet fuel). Thehandle and grips can be foldeddown, so that a large person couldconceal the Hyper Hammer under atrenchcoat—this is made easier bythe use of a special shoulder rig,available from Slamdance, Inc. for40eb.

Its gratifying, knowing that each timeI swat another corporate meathead, I'mequalizing the ratio of fleshlings to True'Borgs. They die a lot more often than wedo. With full metal in your corner, youcan not only get rid of the enemy in safe-

ty, but it can be pretty damn fulfilling. GoFull Conversion, and pretty soon you'll befinding yourself using your biggest gunsat point-blank range, just so you canwatch the expression on your target'sface. Ifs the best feeling. Ever seen aCLAW do its thing on the competition'ssecretarial pool? What a sight! Theyshould decorate more offices in red.

United ArmamentsCLAW (1600eb)SHG • +1 • N • R • 4-Ga (8D6) • 28• 1/4 • VR • 60m • BOD Min: 11#000 buck: 8D6, Slug: 9D6+2,APFSDS: 5D10AP, HEAT: 7D10(1/2 SP).

Weighing in at 16kg and measuringover four feet in length, this doseAssault Weapon is designed for useby Combat 'Borgs and PoweredArmor, and is totally unmanageable byunenhanced troops without aPowered Exo-Mount The CLAW is amulti-role weapons package, consist-ing of a semiautomatic 4-gauge shot-gun with a modular under-barrel sup-port weapon, all housed in a all-weather, heat-resistant, impact-proofpolymer/ceramic composite which isstronger than steel. The 4-gauge shot-gun shell was a scattergun roundused in the early 20th century to huntducks—traditionally, a 4-gauge gunwould be bolted down to the stern ofa boat and then the entire boat wouldbe pointed in the general direction ofa flock (yes, a whole flock) of ducks orother fowl. After the smoke cleared,the hunters would collect the carcass-es floating in the water. In 2020, the 4-gauge has been revived as a extra-high-lethality munition, using shell cas-ings made of a heat-resistant andheat-absorbing plastic which acts as athermal sink to ensure that the CLAWdoes not overheat The 4" Magnum,4-gauge shell has a bore diameter of23.75mm (.935-caliber), as opposedto the traditional 12-gauge's 18.5mmbore, giving it the capability to fire aneven greater array of sub-munitionsthan other shotguns. Buckshot(#000), "Beehive" flechette shells,

slugs, APFSDS rounds, shaped-charge HEAT warheads, mini-grenades, non-lethal batons,"Dragon's Breath" thermite blasts,flash/bang bombs, "Slasher" mono-nets, cratering HEP rounds, and gasshells are all available. The bullpupCLAW feeds from a large 28-roundbox magazine, but the breech can belocked open to allow special roundsto be singly loaded, and the fully-auto-matic firing rate is 425 rounds perminute. Beneath the barrel of the shot-gun is an interchangeable underlug,which can be fitted with any one of thefollowing support weapons: an 8-shotmicrowaver, a cartridge-loadingKendachi flame gun, a 4-shot purnp-action 25mrn grenade launcher, a 4-shot micromissile launcher or a smallSMG (Concealability J). Whatever thesupport weapon is, its magazine loadsforward of the CLAWs grip and triggerarray and will have its operationslaved to the weapon's computer; theCLAW comes chipped from the facto-ry, with IFF and security functions asstandard features, making rt fully com-patible with ACPA fire-control systemsand metalhead neural processors.This weapon is best known for itsemployment by the Detroit PD's C-SWAT Enforcer 'borgs.

yeah, being a True 'Borg makesbeing a Solo a lot more fun. A lot safer,too. And a lot more profitable. I got jobsecurity, free ammunition and a purposein life. I don't mean my job is my pur-pose—sure, it's important—but I knownow what has to be done. Humanity isobsolete, gatos. Meat is on the way outThink about it: the science-wizards whobuilt our 21st century world are stillgoing strong. They're making robots,cyberforms, Als, nanoids, even intelligentclones! That's right the body is alreadyoutdated, and soon the mind will be too.It's time for all of us to shed our skins and'face the new world. Metal really IS bet-ter than meat So do humanity a favor-become a True 'Borg. you gotta start withyourself, you'll be sweeping away the oldand ushering in the clean, strong new.

SO DO HUMANITY AFAVOR—BECOME A

TRUE 'BORG.ANYONE WHO

DOESN'T WANT TOBE FULLY

CONVERTED...GETS WIPED OUT!

Then take the fight to the other meat-heads. Anyone who doesn't want to beFully Converted...gets wiped out! Changeyourself, and change the world. Combatsuperiority is only the beginning! Destroyall flesh!

Typical Full 'BorgSmall Arms14mm Handgun (Magnum Opus "BigGovernment'—2000eb)P • + 0 • J • P • 14mm (6D6) • 13 •2 • VR • 60m • BOD Min: 12

12-Gauge "Pistol" (1,000eb)P • -2 • J/L • P • 12-ga (4D6) • 9 #2 • ST • 30m • BOD Min: 12

5.56mm caseless "SMG" (1,200eb)SMG • +1 • L/N • P • 5.56mm/5D6 • 50 • 25 • VR • 200m •BOD Min: 10

30mm HiVel caseless Auto-GL(2,000eb)HVY • +0 • N • P • 30mm (Varies)• 25 • 15 • VR • 300m • BOD Min:12

12.7mm "Assault Rifle" (2,000eb)RIF•+1 •N•P• 12.7mm (6D10)•50 • 10 • VR • 400m • BOD Min:12

14.5mm "Assault Rifle" (2,500eb)RIF • +1 • N • P • 14.5mm (7D10) •50 • 10 • VR • 400m • BOD Min:14

COMBAT &SECURITYCYBERFORMSBy Dick W. Boi,WorldwideSalesManager,Adrek Robotics

T actically, the full-conversioncyborg is a quantum leap ineffectiveness for the infantry-

man of 2020. Full-conversions are,however, expensive to build, main-tain, and counsel. Powered armorseemed to be a solution for severalreasons. They are not pilot-dedicat-ed, they are more easily reparable,and they had no adverse psycholog-ical effects. But, they were moreexpensive, heavier (limiting theireffectiveness in their primary urbanenvironment), and required a skilledpilot to be used effectively. Bothoptions, full-conversion cyborgs andpowered armor, are overkill foreighty percent of the security and

intelligence-gathering operations "inthe business." Humans, however, arecompletely inappropriate as well,being too expensive to train and tooeasily eliminated.

What was required, in many situ-ations, was a simpler unit: somethingthat could patrol or gather data overa period of time, use minimalresources, and be effective in atleast self defense. Cybernetically-enhanced animals were just comingonto the scene, and they were aninspiration to further working modifi-cation.

The final solution: the Combatand Security Cyberform (CSC).

CERETRONIC: Cerebro-Electronic.A Brain composed of bio-engi-neered (or transplanted) neural tis-sue fused with a "dog brain"-styleneural net processor. These brainscan be programmed like a comput-er, but react in a similar manner tonatural brains.

Instead of a human brain, theCSC's use a ceretronic core. Themain difference between humancyborgs and cyberforms is simple.Humans are refitted as cyborgs, withthe addition of cybernetic compo-nents. CSC's are engineered from theground up, therefore there is no trau-matic instability. The ceretronic coreis then housed in a sensor-equippedand (usually) powered frame whichprovides mobility. Weapons, armor,and other options can then be addedto the frame.

Because these brains have organ-ic components, they require nutri-ents, like water, oxygen, calories, etc.These life-support requirements arehandled by on-board systems. A liq-uid nutrient bath circulates throughthe brain. Composed of oxygen, glu-cose, and a few other ingredients, thefluid is virtually waste-free. It isreplaced daily (every twenty-fourhours). Failure to replace this fluid atthe regular interval will result insevere brain damage and death forthe CSC. Because of this closed-cir-

THE FINAL SOLUTION: THECOMBAT AND SECURITY CYBERFORM

cuit system, cyberforms are immuneto airborne (and waterborne) chemi-cal and biological agents. Most CSC'sare also immune to the effects of par-tial vacuum and shallow-water (up tofive atmospheres) diving, since theirbodies are usually somewhat pressur-ized and/or armored. Like all livingthings, CSC's must sleep, but requireonly two hours rest per day.

Cyberforms usually have tactilesensors, and therefore a sense of"touch" but in combat they rely pri-marily on damage reports to deter-mine level of injury. Because of this,cyberforms do not suffer from pain,stun, or shock. They function normal-ly until their body components arerendered useless or destroyed.Because their bodies are mechanical,damage has to be repaired and nothealed.

Standard combat cyberforms areequipped with battery packs. Thesepacks can operate the unit at fullcapacity for 72 hours. The batterypacks can be recharged off any high-capacity power supply (such as thoseused to charge electric vehicles) infour hours, wall current (rechargingtakes twice normal time), or can bereplaced (1OOeb for a spare). Eachcyberform also has an integral emer-gency battery that will allow it tooperate for one half-hour (this batteryis mainly intended to sustain the unitduring power pack exchanges).

One concern of potential buyersis the loyalty and stability of a cyber-form, especially those who have haddifficulty with full-conversion cyborgsor cyber-animals. Early attempts atcyberform development involved cre-ating the unit with a wholly biologicalanimal brain, then erasing the "emo-tions" and programming them toobey. They tried installing overridecontrols, or installing a ceretroniccortex bomb. These early attempts

were failures (and some were seriousfailures—notably the "Beast ofBoston" incident). To solve theseproblems, modern cyberforms aredesigned and trained to have the tra-ditional martial virtues of loyalty, obe-dience, and discipline. These traitshelp keep a cyberform stable.Another factor that can aid in thecontrol of cyberforms is that eachcyberform ceretronic core can becustom made for the purchaser. Thecyberform is conditioned to acceptthe purchaser as its owner. Therehave been no cases of ceretroniccyberforms going rogue or becomingpsychotic.

Combat cyberforms have fourstatistics: INT, REF, BOD, and MA. Theceretronic rating (INT) of a cyberformrepresents the power and flexibility ofthe cyberform's ceretronic core. Astandard cyberform can be pro-grammed with a number of skill lev-els equal to its INT times four. Theprice for programming a cyberformwith a skill is equal to the cost of acomparable skill chip times two.Cyberforms can have a maximum skilllevel of five. The REF, MA, and BODstats of a cyberform are the samescale as standard human stats. CSC'sknow no fear, so COOL does notapply. INT is not really in the samescale, though close. An extremelyintelligent cyberform is, in its way, asintelligent as an average human. It isan intelligence more closely analo-gous to highly trained dogs, or apes.

Cyberforms can be considered asintelligent as average humans, andact accordingly. Since they are partorganic and part cybernetic, theirthought processes are an odd mix ofpredatorial instinct and computation-al logic. CSC's do not have the fullrange of human emotions, and theyare fairly linear thinkers. However,their concentration and discipline are

superior to that of humans. They arealso not plagued with doubt, fear, lust,cyber-psychosis, or other suchhuman flaws. In battle, CSC's are calmtacticians and are not moved bymany of the emotional considerationsthat would color human thinking.

Given the psychology of CSC'sand the fact that they can be deadlyfighting machines, it is no wonder thatthe general public is wary of them.Because of this, some areas restrictor even ban CSC ownership. In con-trast with the public, many corpora-tions and militaries favor the use ofthe CSC. They are sometimes moreexpensive to purchase than full-con-version cyborgs, but they don't drawa salary, complain, or questionorders; they have no family, have norights, and are completely loyal.Corporations have had difficulties incases of Netrunners using their ownCSC's against them. Limiting net-con-trol of CSC's has downgraded this

problem. Now most CSC's requireboth a computer command and ahardware "key" to change program-ming.

There are many different kinds ofCSC's and many of them are pur-pose-built. But most fall into one offour different categories: SmallAnimal—lemurs, koalas, schnauzers,terriers, beagles, all types of housecats, and other small animals.Medium Animal—German shep-herds, rottweilers, tigers, panthers,goats, sheep, pot-belly pigs, etc.Large Animal—buffalo, horses,cows, alligators, sharks, dolphins, etc.CSC's in the preceding categories areusually quadrupeds, as that negatesthe need for a gyro-balancer.Anthros—bipedal and basicallyhumanoid. Many have been built toresemble creatures of myth and leg-end. Usually used as expensivehousebots. They require an expen-sive gyro-balancer.

CSC'S CAN BEDEADLY FIGHTING

MACHINES.

CSC frames are made of highlyadvanced carbon/boron fiber andfoamed cerametal alloys. Thesealloys are 1/2 to 1/3 the weight of liv-ing tissue components and strongerthan steel. Because of this CSC's areextremely light for their size. All CSC'shave an SDP of four times their BODstat. Cyberforms have no BTM. Alldamage is calculated against the SDPtotal. After they have damage equalto three times their BOD they areconsidered disabled; after they havetaken four times their BOD they areconsidered destroyed. Cyberformarmor ablates naturally.

Examples:

100Series™from AdrekRobotics118,000eb

A drek Robotics brings thefinest humanoid security sys-tem ever built to the market-

place with their 100 Series™. Startwith a heavy-duty combat chassis,and add a high-intelligence systemand full combat programming. Whatyou get is the ultimate soldier. Weguarantee it!

MISSION: Hunter/Killer UnitINT 6 REF 12 BOD 10MA 15 SDP 30/40

Body—Frame: "100 Series" HumanoidBrain: High Intelligence (INT 6)Programs: Track 4, Rifle 4, HeavyWeapons 4, Evade 4, Athletics 4, Brawl 4Increased Reflex (+4)Increased MA (+3)Gyro-Balancer

PROTECTION—Armor SP25 (all locations)EMP HardenedExtra Life Support (96+24=120hrs)Extra Battery (72+72=144 hrs)Electronics & Sensors-Laser Designator; Military Comm UnitOptics (Targeting Scope, AntiDazzle)Audio (Editing, EHR, Level Damper)Neural (WL, DL ML, AV Recorder)Motion Detector (70% effective)Radar Sensor (100m mg., 70% eff.)Chem. Analyzer (5m rng., 70% eff.)

WEAPONS—RipperHand 1x21; GripFoot 1x2]Grenade Launcher (Militech) [leftarm]; Assault Rifle (FN-RAL) frightarm]

MicroMissile Launcher Deft leg];MicroMissile Launcher fright leg]Extra Mag (for grenade launcher)Extra Mags x2 (for assault rifle)Extra Mag (MML right)Extra Mag (MML left)Storage Unit (4 grenades)

ChacmoolCombat &SecurityCybercatfrom AdrekRobotics62,000eb

MISSION: Area SecurityINT 4 REF 11 BOD 5MA 16 SDP 15/20

Body—Frame: Medium AnimalBrain: Medium IntelligencePrograms: ProPersonnel,Shadow/Track 4, Rifle 4, Tactics 4, Brawl 4Increased Reflex (+3)Increased MA (+8)

PROTECTION—Armor: SP12 (all locations)Extended Life SupportElectronics & Sensors-Military Comm Suite; Laser DesignatorOptics (Targeting Scope, AntiDazzle)Audio (Editing, EHR, Level Damper)Neural (WL, DL, ML, AV Recorder)Compass/LocatorMotion Detector (70% effective)Radar Sensor (100m rng., 70% eff.)Chem. Analyzer (5m rng., 70% eff.)

WEAPONS—RipperClaws [x4]Assault Rifle (FN-RAL) [torso]Hellkat Missile Launcher [external}Extra Mags x2 (for assault rifle)

"Max"PoliceDog™from AdrekRobotics62,000eb

MISSION: Law EnforcementSupportINT 4 REF 11 BOD 5MA 14 SDP 15/20

Body—Frame: Medium AnimalBrain: Medium IntelligencePrograms: ProPolice,Shadow/Track 4, Rifle 4, Tactics4, Brawling 4Increased Reflex (+3)Increased MA (+6)

PROTECTION—Armor: SP12 (all locations)Extended Life SupportElectronics & Sensors-Military Comm SuiteOptics (Targeting Scope,AntiDazzle)Audio (Editing, EHR, LevelDamper)Option Suite (TE, LL, TH, UV, VS,WB)Neural (WL, DL, ML, AVRecorder)Compass/LocatorMotion Detector (70% effective)Radar Sensor (100m rng., 70%eff.)Chem. Analyzer (5m rng., 70%eff.)

WEAPONS—RipperClaws [x4]Sub-machinegun x2 (MPK-11)[torso]Extra Mags x4 (for SMG

Note on ProPoliceand ProPersonnelprograms:These programming chips allow thecyberform an encyclopedic knowl-edge of security-related info orpolice proceduresIn the case of ProPersonnel, thisincludes all people allowed to beinside a restricted area, with finger-print, retinal pattern, and coded-question information. The chip usual-ly carries a security charge that willdestroy this information should theCSC be near destruction or capture.ProPolice programming gives thecyberform knowledge of search pro-cedure, capture and restraint meth-ods, guard skills, and recognition ofgeneral (or selected) law enforce-ment personnel.These programs do not have a skilllevel, as they are composed of data.ProPersonnel programs are usuallyupdated biweekly.

CORPORATIONSHAVE HAD

DIFFICULTIES INCASES OF

NETRUNNERs USINGTHEIR OWN CSC'S

AGAINST THEM.LIMITING

NET-CONTROL OFCSC'S HAS DOWN-

GRADED THISPROBLEM. NOW

MOST CSC'S REQUIREBOTH A COMPUTER

COMMAND AND AHARDWARE "KEY"TO CHANGE PRO-

GRAMMING.

THE OPEN ROAD —

Legged Vehicles in Maximum Metalby the Steely-eyed, Kenshiro-waIkin' staff of Solo of Fortune

B ack when America was still aworld superpower—in the1950's, to be more precise—

an Army study declared about halfthe world's land surface inaccessibleby conventional land vehicles.Millions of taxpayers' dollars wenttoward proving that steep, heavilywooded, mountainous, or otherwiserough terrain couldn't be navigatedby wheeled, tracked, or even air-cushion vehicles—the nightmarishItalian Campaign of WW2 has stoodas a testament to this fact. Mundanecraft are also stymied by densewoods, swamps, jungles, rainforests, glacier-carved hills and dev-astated urban landscapes (whichcan be found in abundance in the21st century).

In the case of the NorthAmerican continent, troublesometerrain is a shrinking problem thanksto the deforestation of the greatNorthwest and Northeast wood-lands. However, all is not rosy for"Pave the Earth" enthusiasts: Dense

terrain abounds in the RockyMountains, the Dakota Badlands, theAllegheny Mountains, the Ozarks,the Southern swamps and the steephills of the Missouri Breaks.

The same obstacle to all-terraintransport presents itself world-wide,notably in Japan and Germany. Withimpenetrable (except by air or foot)land occupying so much of bothover-technological nations, theirrespective military-industrial com-plexes had a vested interest indeveloping vehicles that could dom-inate these lands. Massive researchand development projects by bothnations (and rampant espionage byand against each other) ensued.Powered armor was quickly castaside as a possibility—too slow, shortrange, limited usefulness. Japan andGermany's competitive experimen-tation and engineering inevitablyresulted in the creation of thosedevices popularized by fiction andscoffed at by practicality: leggedvehicles.

Since legged vehicles becamepractical only through the tandem-feedback processes of neural inter-face, legged vehicles were eventual-ly dubbed Cyberwalks. Typically, aCyberwalk's body houses the crew,armament, power plant, fuel andelectronics, and is perched betweentwo, three or sometimes even fourpairs of powerful, mechanized legs.The well established technologies ofso-called "dogbrain" co-processorsand expert systems bridged the gapbetween most Cyberwalks' multi-legged locomotion and the bipedalstructuring of their pilots' grey mat-ter. In order to prevent the mass ofthe hull from causing undue wear onthe legs themselves (see MaximumMetal, page 59), the leg motorsemploy at least triple redundancyand the hull is built from lightweight,high-strength composites.Cyberwalks use a combination ofmyomers and magnetically-actuated"hydraulics" for motive power, andtheir feet are oversized to ease

ground pressure and ensure bal-ance. Some Cyberwalks can evendeploy flywheel-driven tires for high-er speed on paved surfaces; it's anexpensive option rarely availablefrom the factory. Some bipedal mod-els have been sold on the civilianmarket as "unique recreationalopportunities", while military, police,rescue and corporate enforcementsales have grown slowly but steadily.

ConstructionSDP Range 20-200

(Max SDP per pair of legs = 50;no minimum)

SDP Limits 5 SDP per spaceSDP Cost 2,500eb per SDPSpaces 4-40Top Speed 40mph

on open ground, but atreduced speed they can

go anywhere.Range 200 milesMass 1 ton per 15 SDPAce/Dec 15mph/15mphHandling -3

Accessories: Cyberwalks requirecybernetic control, so they comeequipped with cybernetic linkages.By definition they are also off-roadcapable. Cyberwalks which candeploy wheels from their legs (a.k.a.,"Runabouts") add +33% to theirbase cost, can travel at 100mphover paved ground and can deceler-ate at 40mph/turn. Changing motivesystems takes one turn, and thevehicle must be at a complete stop.Cyberwalks cannot add CompositeArmor, as they already have a spe-cial lightweight version. They canhave as much armor as they haveSDP; this armor costs 5,000eb perSP.

Mobility: Piloting a Cyberwalk fallsunder the "Operate HeavyMachinery" skill. Cyberwalks have touse the ACPA Environment Damagerules (Maximum Metal, pages 59-60). They count as weighing wellover 960+ kilos, and have oversizedfeet.

Combat and Damage: Use the hit location table forACPA (Maximum Metal, page 6), counting Arm hits asLeg hits. Legs have 1/2 the SDP of the Hull, but equalarmor. Treat the Hull as a normal vehicle hull to checkfor specific damage effects on Hull hits.

Bipeds: These Cyberwalks are the smallest (their legscan't support much mass), and the most unbalanced.Bipeds can't use Reactive Armor, since it would knockthe vehicle over when activated, and cannot use Auto-pilots (since it takes full concentration to retain balance).Bipedal Cyberwalks are seldom armed; they're toounbalanced and light. But if you must, weapon possibili-ties include machineguns, miniguns, autocannon, the20mm gatling (but not the 30mm gatling), the LATG37mm, grenade launchers, the 75mm cannon, recoilless

rifles, 4mm railguns, rockets and missiles. NOTE: TheU.S. government, who was late following theEuro/Japanese design lead, has concentrated on a basicexperimental biped design with a mix of armaments, theXML-20/21 series.

Bipeds have the following special construction para-meters:

SDP RangeSpacesRangeMass

Handling

20-504-10

400mi.1 ton plus 1

ton per 25 SDP-1

All other construction stats are the same as multi-leggedmodels.

Sample Cyberwalks:

Arasaka Manufacturing "Daikani"Designed for urban combat, the Daikani ("great crab") is lightly armed, fast, and well equipped to handlegroups of soldiers, rebels, or rioters (Arasaka's favorites). Equipped with a Runabout system for high-speedurban travel, the Daikani may soon be sold as a metropolitan police vehicle; trial runs are said to be takingplace in Detroit.

TOP SPEEDACC/DECCREWRANGEPASSENGERSCARGO

40MPH (K30MPH) MANEUVER20/15MPH (20/40MPH) SDP

2 S.P.200 MILES TYPE

NONE MASSNONE COST

-180(Booy4)

40 (ARMOR 2)CYBERWALK (4 LEGS)

3 TONS1.1M EB

Special Equipment:4 man-hours of life support, military radio, navigation system, infrared sensors, satellite Uplink, Shocker securi-ty system, searchlight, antipersonnel grenade charges, runabout system.Weapons:7.62mm Minigun (with 4,000 rounds of ammo) in top-mounted turret, four fixed-forward 6-shot 2" rocketpods.

Messerschmitt KPV-R "PanzerKraken"Bristling with weapons and laden with armor, the PanzerKraken is a lumbering, super-technical gun platform.Likened to a World War II armored car, the PanzerKraken succeeds where pre-millennium armor failed; in themental control of a good pilot, it can negotiate mountains and marshes alike.

TOP SPEEDACC/DECCREWRANGEPASSENGERSCARGO

30MPH

15/15MPH

3300 MILES

4NONE

MANEUVERSDPS.P.TYPEMASSCOST

-3120 (Body 6)

60 (ARMOR 3)CYBERWALK (6 LEGS)

8 TONS

1.24M EB

continued on page 80

continued from page 79Special Equipment:4 man-hours of life support, mili-tary radio, navigation system,thermal imaging, amphibious.Weapons:20mm Catling in top-mountedturret, 40mm Auto-GL in fixedmount forward, 12.7mm MG inarticulated mount covering leftside and forward, 12.7mm MG inarticulated mount covering rightside and forward, +2 targetingcomputers for the 20mmGatling.

VolkswalkerThis is a bipedal, civilian modelCyberwalk marketed mostly in theEEC, rarely imported to Americadue to skepticism and trade wars. Itis a two-seat, open-canopy vehiclewhose applications are almost pure-ly recreational—the only other possi-ble use would be short-range, low-threat exploration, recon or perhapspatrol. The Volkswalker is unarmored, but its carbon-fiber composite construction does afford it a meager 5SP.

TOP SPEEDACC/DECCREWRANGEPASSENGERSCARGO

40MPH

15/15MPH

1200 MILES

1

NONE

MANEUVERSDPS.P.TYPEMASSCOST

-320(Body 1)5 (ARMOR 0)

CYBERWALK (BlPED)

650KG52,500EB

Special Equipment:Standard radio, navigation system, searchlight, cellular phone, crash control systems for driver and passenger.Weapons:None.

XML-2O Support WalkerML-series construction consists of a 40-cubic meter hull, perched ostrich-like atop a pair of powerful, 4 metertall armored legs. In order to prevent vehicle mass from wearing out the legs, they (and the feet) are over-sized. The composite hull is limited in the amount of armor protection available, and the center of gravity pre-vents these vehicles from employing high-recoil heavy weapons. The protection, armament and mobility prob-lems are sufficient to restrict the ML-series to being a heavy-weapons support unit.

Both the Army and Marines use ML-series vehicles: the XML-20 Support Walker and the XML-21 AT Walkerare deployed as rough-terrain backup for infantry and ACPA troopers. Neither has the armor to take on real AFVs,or even heavy ACPA, directly; they hang back and provide fire support.

TOP SPEEDACC/DECCREWRANGEPASSENGERS

40MPH

15/15MPH

2400MI.

NONE

CARGOMANEUVERSDPSPTYPE

NONE

-1

40 (Body 2)40 (ARMOR 2)

CYBERWALK (BIPED)

Special Equipment:4 man-hours of life support, military radio, navigation system, thermal imaging.Weapons:20mm Catling and 7.62mm Minigun in fixed mounts forward, 40mm Auto-GL in articulated mount coveringleft side and forward, 12.7mm HMG articulated mount covering right side and forward. +2 Targeting comput-ers for Catling and Minigun.The AT variant replaces the 20mm gat, Auto-GL, and HMG with 4-6 LATGMs.

In 1942, theMesserschntitt Me-109ruled the skies. Now,the Messerschmitt KPV-R "PanzerKraken"rules the battlefield.

With enough fire-power to level acity and some ofthe best armoravailable, thePanzerKraken isthe undisputedmaster or theland combatarena. Its six leas, all with independent suspension, allowit to traverse rubble and other hostile terrain that wouldstop other AFVs in their tracks. Add to this fearsomepackage a thought-control system, and the only thing thatcould stop this monster is Godzilla. The PanzerKraken.When it absolutely has to be conquered in under amonth.

Messerschmitt MGBH. Bonn, United Germany. Net Node 4822.28.1O9GD.

THE OPEN ROAD —Maximum

Weaponry Expansionsfor Maximum Metal

Ever since mankind first devel-oped protective coverings toward off damage, an arms race

has existed between the developmentof offensive weaponry and its ability topenetrate armor, and armor's ability todefend its bearer. Late in the 20th cen-tury, armor protection eclipsedweapons with the development ofChobham, the miracle composite thatcould resist shaped-charge roundsand deflect most solid-core penetra-tors. The result was a move to smooth-bore weapons shooting even smallerand more dense penetrators at higherspeeds.

The problem was that there wasonly so much that could be done withmuzzle velocity; the propellents avail-able couldn't drive a shell any fasterwithout destroying the weapon. Ofcourse, rail guns didn't have this prob-lem, driving a tiny (by MBT-weaponstandards) slug at velocities approach-ing six kilometers a second. For many

militaries, the tactical disadvantage ofrail guns was that they were good fornothing except shooting other MBTs—a larger caliber gun could also shoothigh explosive, anti-personnel andspecialty rounds. But rail guns were sogood at killing tanks that the majorpowers went for them in a big way, andthe smaller armies were forced to fol-low their lead or get out of the way.

Electro-thermalPropellantFinally, a line of research pursued 30years ago has yiellded significantresults. Largely forgotten during theturmoil of the early years of this centu-ry, electro-thermal propulsion hasresurfaced as a viable military option,first in commercial firearms, then asmilitary weapons

The concept is fairly simple.Conventional solid propellents (devel-oped from gunpowder or something

similar) burn swiftly, producing a greatdeal of gas expansion for a very briefperiod of time. This drives the shell for-ward and out of the barrel. But the gasexpansion falls off very swiftly and theonly way to improve the amount of gasexpansion is to increase thecharge...too much charge, and thegun can't hold it.

Electro-thermal propulsion uses aprinciple of sustained gas expansion.The shell is loaded with a combustiblefluid, witch is ignited by a massiveelectrical charge. The charge convertsthe fluid to a plasma (a highly-ionizedgaseous state), at a controlled rate.The result is that the plasma isincreased as the shell moves down thebarrel, with a correspondingly highermuzzle velocity, less stress on the bar-rel, and surprisingly, reduced recoil! Ofcourse, the velocity is several timesthe gun's design velocity (3000+feet/second for handguns, and up to7000+ feet/second for larger

weapons), so normal barrels wouldhave the lands (rifling) stripped fromthem swiftly. The solution is to usesmoothbores, already a common mili-tary practice.

Not every weapon can benefitfrom electro-thermal propellant. Theidea of using it in a low-velocityweapon is ludicrous— why bother try-ing to speed up a shell that relies onexplosive power for effect? Only thehigher-velocity weapons can deriveany benefit from it, and only the bigarmor-piercers at that. Speeding upthe shells from most autocannonsdefeats their purpose, since thoseguns are usually made for attackingsoft targets, not heavy armor. AnAPC/IFV with an autocannon and amissile launcher is advised to use themissile launcher if facing somethingthat the autocannon can't handle.Small-bore specialty weaponsdesigned for anti-vehicle work are theexceptions (the Barrett-Arasaka20mm, the 30mm Galling, and the37mm LATG).

Electro-ther-mal ArtilleryFor the most part, artillery is a low-velocity prospect, unworthy of switch-ing to electro-thermal propulsion.However, there is a benefit to design-ing a gun just for e-tp, and that is tothrow huge shells a long, long way.

20CM ET GUN: A big smooth-borecannon that throws double-price shells(add the price of a normal shell to anycalculations made for special war-heads). This gun's stats are the sameas those listed for the 200mm how-itzer, but the gun costs 500,000 euroand has a maximum range of 45,000meters.

AS IF THEPOPULARITYOF THE NEW

ELECTRO-THERMAL GUNS

WASN'T ENOUGH,JAPANESE

ELECTRONICS HAVEMADE THE

IMPOSSIBLEPOSSIBLE AGAIN

Follow-upMissilesAs if the popularity of the new electro-thermal guns wasn't enough, Japaneseelectronics have made the impossiblepossible again. The long-sought preci-

sion infrared seeking sensors for follow-up missiles are now available.

The follow-up missile conceptworks on the idea that if one missile hit-ting a target is a good idea, then severalmissiles hitting the same spot on the tar-gets armor is a great idea. The missilefirer shoots one missile and guides it tothe target At precise intervals after thelead missile is fired, secondary missileslaunch (the number depends upon howmany the firer is willing to expend in avolley), one after another, and follow thelead missile to the target Using high-definition IR sensors, the missiles trackin and impact on the original impact site,in essence, burrowing into the targetsarmor.

Follow-up missile fuses/sensors add10% to the cost of the missile, and maynot be added to any other kind of mis-sile (one you design a missile to "followthe leader," that's all it does). When a fol-low-up missile weapons system isdesigned, each missile to be launchedrequires its own launcher—the lead mis-sile uses a normal launcher each follow-up missile to be fired in a volley uses acheaper launcher (same spaces, 50%of launcher cost).

Every follow-up missile weaponssystem is designed with a set number offollow-up missiles launchers to be firedalong with the lead missile. If the leadmissile hits the target, roll 1D10 for eachfollow-up missile: 1-4, missile hits thesame spot on the target; add 50% of its

Electro-Thermal Modified WeaponsWeaponBarrett-Arasaka Lt. 20mm30mm CatlingLATG 37mm75mm cannon105mm cannon120mm cannon140mm cannon

WA+ 1+0+3+ 1+ 1+0+0

Damage6D10AP (6)9D10AP (9)9D10AP (9)10D10AP (10)15D10AP (15)19D10AP(19)24D10AP<24)

#Shots1012001010111

ROF13012111

Range750m900m1200m1000m1500m1900m2250m

Cost3800eb

37,500eb15,000eb

115,000eb375,000eb750,000eb

1.5M eb

All damages/penetrations listed are for armor-piercing discarding sabot. HEAT, HESH, and Beehive (fletchette)rounds retain their normal damages and penetrations.

Ammo for electro-thermal weapons costs twice the normal ammunition price, no matter what the ammo!

penetration to the lead missile's! 5-9,missile misses the exact impact site andhits the target somewhere else; roll loca-tion of hit randomly and determine themissile's normal penetration separately.10+, missile misses the target altogeth-er. -1 if the target is stationary; +1 if thetarget is moving at over 300mph. If thelead missile misses, all missiles miss. Ifthe lead missile is destroyed by reactivearmor, roll to see of any of the follow-upmissiles hit (as above, but with an extra+2 to each roll).

Example: A Militech MT-4 MBT issuccessfully hit with an HATGM leadmissile. The missile hits the tank's glacisplate (the front), and does Penetration 9to Armor 8—not much. Then three otherfollow-up missiles zing in, two of whichare destroyed by the MBT's AEAMSdefensive system. The one that getsthrough pushes the Penetration up to13.5, rounded down to 13. Compared tothe MT-4's Armor+Body of 20, at leastthe impact has a chance of hurting thetank.

Rail-gunResponseWith electro-thermal guns and follow-upmissiles on the market, rail-gun makerswere faced with a quandary. The marketfor anti-tank weapons, dominated for solong by rail-guns, would soon shift toless-expensive weapons unless rail gunsgot better, fast With that in mind, I ECrushed development of superior mag-netic recoil-damping systems and swiftlyput a newer, larger rail gun on the mar-ket

IMPROVED RAIL-GUN RECOIL SYSTEMS:These add 20% (round down) to theamount of spaces a rail-gun takes up,and adds 50% to the gun's cost.However, it lowers the vehicle tonnagenecessary to mount the gun by 50% (soa 1 cm gun can be mounted in a 20-tonvehicle, for instance). Rail-guns stillrequire tracked chassis, though!

4CM RAIL CANNON: This cannonrequires a tracked chassis of at least 70tons to withstand the recoil generated. Italready includes the recoil systemimprovements noted above.

HVY • +0 • N • R • 28D10AP (40mm gauss) • 50 • 1/2 • UR • 6 Mil eb •20 spaces

Weapon W.A Damage *Shots ROF Range Cost4cm rail gun +0 28D10AP 50 1/2 1500m 6Meb

(Pen 30)

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NEW FROM THESHOWROOM—

AV-11 CombatAerodyne

T he new light troop/equipmenttransport for the 2020's!! TheAV-11 cargo bay can be con-

figured for equipment or troop han-dling in mere minutes. Just attach theseats to the retaining bolts on thefloors and the AV-11 is now ready forthat long-range penetration with yourblack-ops team.

TOP SPEED:Ace/Dec:CREW:

405 MPH50/50 MPH

2

RANGE: 1060 MIPASSENGERS: 9CARGO: NONEMANEUVER: +3SDP: 140 (Body 7)SP: 45 (ARMOR 2)TYPE: AVMASS: 6 TONSCOST: 3.5MEBSPECIAL EQUIPMENT:IR Baffling, Crash control systems(crew and pass.), Damage control,Ejection seats x2, Environmentalcontrol, Chaff and Flare dispensers,Military radio w/Satellite uplink andscrambler, Microwave rangefinders,

Multi-targeting, Auto-pilot andNavigation systems, Cybernetic link-age, ECM, ECCM, Optics w/lmage-enhancement, Telescopies and Low-Light, Thermograph, Laser/Radardetectors, Military Radar with ter-rain-following and Target ID systems,Entertainment system (audio), PodwingsWEAPONS:Computer weapons sight (+4), 4x20mm autocannon in articluatedmounts (2x each side), 4x Hellfiremissies, Painting laser in high-angleturret, 12 spaces for pod-mountedweapons

Bell Sandpiper

F rom the shape alone, it is obvi-ous that the Sandpiper is dif-ferent—many people consider

it a one-man, two-wheel sports car!It's an American design from thediversifying Bell corp (who special-ize in light aircraft), but they've builtup the chassis to shift some of theweight off traditional stress areas.The frame and engine are connect-ed at seven points to stiffen thebody and improve handling.

The motorcycle is a recumbentdesign, with the driver fullyenclosed by a forward-closing plas-tic cockpit shield which operates onhydraulic arms. A roof is a fine thingwhen the rain is really pouringdown, since even the best rain suitsdon't help you in a real downpour(but then again, a roof can restrictyour vision). With a field of visionthis close to the ground, you feellike a speed demon even whenyou're just coasting!

It has quartz halogen headlightsflanking the front wheel, placeddirectly ahead of the modular bank-angle sensors, and, to preventscrapes while cornering, the Sand-piper has two horizontal-facingmini-wheels on each side of thebody.

The bike also sports anti-lockdisc brakes and its center-hub sus-pension is spring-loaded (whichmight help in a collision). TheSandpiper is large and heavy for amotorcycle, with a very long wheel-base. All in all, a luxurious andunusual package from a companywhich definitely bears watching.

TYPE:MASS:COST:

MOTORCYCLE144KG

12,380EB

TOP SPEED:Acc/DEC:CREW:RANGE:PASSENGERS:CARGO:MANEUVER:SDP:SP:

120MPH

18/60MPH1

400 MINONE

0 KG, NO SPACES+3

36 (Body 1)0 (ARMOR 0)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT &CONSTRUCTION:Built-up chassis and stiffenedframe (SDP 36); antilock brakes(deccel +100%); high-power halo-gen headlamps; cybernetic con-trol; smartlocked access (Diff20+); Shocker antitheft system;passenger protection crash sys-tem (SP40 vs collision); civilianenvironmental control.

WEAPONS:None

NEW ITEM NOTES:Civilian environmental control:5OOeb, no space. This controlsheat, cooling, and humidity, justlike the normal environmentalcontrol, but does not include thefilters and gas protection of themilitary model.

Mitsubishi"Musashi"SWAT Mini-Tank

I n today's modern metropolis,political dissidents, religiousfanatics and heavily-armed

cyberpsychos are almost constantlyon the rampage. SWAT teams havefaced increased danger from nihilistterrorism, while corporate borderskirmishes pose a serious threat topublic safety. There is no room in thisenvironment for the under-armedcops of yesterday. Today's enforcersneed high-mobility firepower at thetactical level!

The well-prepared police forcewill use the Musashi mini-tank to pro-tect their city's populace and faceparamilitary crime head-on. Thiscompact Mini-Tank is perfectly adapt-ed to SWAT-style urban combat tac-tics, capable of fire-suppression, sup-port, and even direct attack. A full

neural-interface operating system,employing drive-by-light technologyand enhanced fiber-optic camerasystems, allows one officer to oper-ate all mini-tank functions. TheMusashi can carry a team of copsinto danger with complete safety, orevacuate wounded with equal securi-ty—and it packs enough punch todeal with corporate-operation threatlevels.

Its low-pressure 75mm cannoncan use a variety of ammo for all pur-poses: fire foam, gas, fragmentation,rubber buckshot, shaped-charge,HESH, and proximity-fused anti-airshells can be mixed in the 40-roundhopper. The computer autoloadercan select the right shell for the jobon command. The 10mm HIVE sys-tem, adapted from the ACPA weapon,also does double duty (antiperson-nel/air-defense), mixing AP, rubberbullets, and explosive rounds (1/2damage to SP or SDP, but doubledamage for flesh). This weapon suiteallows you to master any situation or

environment theinto.. .or out ofTOP SPEEDACC/DECCREWRANGEPASSENGERSCARGOMANEUVERSDPSPTYPEMASSCOST

chassis can get you

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TRACKED IFV8 TONS

1,400,000EB

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zines in Hull, and the 10mm HIVEhas two magazines in Hull.

NEW ITEM NOTES:75mm Low Velocity Gun: Using low-pressure propellant techniques, this

gun's recoil is small enough for useon AVs, helicopters and aircraft as aground-attack weapon.HVY • 0 • N • R • var. • (75mm) •10 • 1 • VR • 100K eb • 600mrange •4 spacesLoudspeaker: 250eb, no space.When you want to make yourselfheard, or just want the surroundingcountryside to hear your choice oftouring music. (Of interest to thosewho don't want to hear your music:loudspeakers are Small targets, andhave 5 SDP. Armored loudspeakers,as found on the Musashi, are 400eband take 20 SDP before theystop working.)

The First Name in Robots & Cyber fun i is Presents:

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The "LawDog" RAPD-1 is designed to patrol high-threat areas, such as prisons and urban centers, as well as high-level crowd-control situations. The stock RAPD-1 unit is vaguely humanoid in configuration, with human-equiva-lent senses. Cyberoptic/cyberaudio options are possible, at a 20% discount.

PERFORMANCE STATISTICS—Size: 2.1mT x 0.7m Dia; Weight: 375kg.Limb Configuration & Equipment:2x Manipulator Arms [SP=30 and SDP=30/40]

w/Militech Tasers (powered by internal batts.);Avante P-1135 Needleguns (100 round mag);Wolvers.

Central torso SP=30 and SDP=40/50 w/ConstitutionArms Deluge CCW (600 round mag).

4x Legs [SP=15 and SDP= 20/35]RAPDs are equipped with Microwave/EMP

shielding standard.An RAPD has a functual REF of 6. Maximum

ground speed is 30kph.One extra magazine is carried for all weapons. All

integral and mounted weapons are treated assmart weapons.

All RAPDs have 4 external weapon mounts andlinks (2x hips and 2x shoulders). Commonoptional weapons for the external mounts includethe Constitution Arms Hurricane (200 roundmag), or the Constitution Arms Cyclone (300round mag). Crippling the central torso disablesthe unit.

OPERATING PARAMETERS—RAPDs are remote-controlled by a human or AIsystem. Standard control range: 100km, which maybe boosted. An interface link is optional [500eb; a+2 bonus to operating skills].

The RAPD-1 has a highly advanced CPU/memorysystem enabling it to operate independantly in lim-ited situations. It's not a true AI, but it is capable oftaking certain actions (detaining unauthorized peopie or using specific combat tactics). This basic pro-gramming allows it to recognize people andobjects, handle weapons, take orders, and so forth.Stock RAPDs have the capacity to store up to sixskill levels (for example Melee +3, Rifle +1, andAwareness +2) in its memory. These skills areinstalled by inserting special skill chips. Each chipis priced the same as a comparable skill chip.

RAPD-ls are typically assigned to patrol or guardduties on autonomous mode. If a situation arisesthat is beyond the intelligence of an RAPD-1 tohandle, an operator will provide it with orders orassume direct control.

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MEDICALLY ALERT—

DOWN: THENEW ETHOS OFCYBERWAREy eah, I remember the good old

days. Back around 2010,maybe through 2015 or so.Us old dogs who have been in

the business far too long rememberthose days as the Metal years. I per-sonally was running around with anartificial eye, two cyberlegs, and acyberarm loaded with so many gunsthat all I had to do was drive near anairport to cause a security crisis.And I didn't even lose any limbs incombat. Hard-boiled cybergruntsrefer to people like me as "elec-tives," meaning that we chose tohave meat limbs removed andreplaced with cybernetics. It was afad, and it was a fad that sucked usall in.

The 'teens were a strange andviolent time. Not that these days

aren't a little bizarre, mind you.Cyberware still had the glow ofsomething new and exotic backthen. And it was a brutal, violenttime. New corporations were begin-ning to consolidate their hold onpower; warring with each other forresources and business. Society waschanging in ways that we didn'tunderstand, and life was cheap,nasty, and often short.

Out of this time grew an oddarms race. As the business of beinga Solo exploded, a strange kind ofarms race followed. All these won-derful new toys were available, youcould be faster...stronger...quick-er...deadlier than any all-meat per-son. The problem was that yourenemy was plugging hardware intohis body as fast as you were, you

had to be half machine just to becompetitive. It wasn't a question of alittle Kerenzikov booster, or a cyber-eye for good night vision. Now it wasabout squeezing every last piecemachinery into your body. Three orfour limbs. Built-in weapons. Enoughboosterware to jump start a car.Nanotech. Skinweave. Interfaces. Asfast as Raven Microcyb and ArasakaNeotech could release new cyber-ware, we'd be plugging 'em in, andmaking just a little bit more room inour thoracic cavity. Cyberwarebecame a resume item. An adver-tisement.

Some of us got through thecraze allright. Some of us died incombat. For some of us, the toll wasworth than death. Now, ten yearsafter the fact, we understand many

by Bill Sharpe

.

EVEN AS THE37MM ARMOR-

PIERCING SHELLKILLED WHAT

LITTLE OF HIMWAS LEFT, HE

KEPT FIGHTING.ONLY AS I STOOD

OVER HIM ANDWATCHED HIS

SYSTEMS SHUTDOWN DID THE

LIGHT OFHUMANITY

RETURN TO HISEYES. AND THEN

HE WAS DEAD..

of the ways in which cyberwareaffects us. At the time, we weren'tsure what was happening. All weknew was that some of us finallywent too far. One chip. One wire.One 'weave over the top, and some-thing critical in the human body islost. The machine takes over, andthe man is lost. Often forever.

I remember the first man I eversaw go cyberpsycho. His name wasRed Jaymes, and he was my secondon an eight man wet-squad for a cor-poration that I'd rather not name.Red was South-Am vet, and he'dbeen behind a gun for as long as hecould remember. The cyberneticmarketers had hooked Red on theidea that the only way for him to stayalive was keep plugging in more sys-tems and more upgrades. He wascompulsive. "This the thing I need,man," he once said to me. "This isthe add that will put us over the top!No one will be able to stop us!" Soonafter installing a spinal Enduro-Pak,Red started to lose it. There was justtoo much machine, not enoughmeat, and that critical balance in hisbody was lost. He became some-thing that was truly less than human.

I first noticed the behaviorchange when Red started going out

of his way to dispatch enemies incruel ways. If he could get close anduse his hands instead of a weapon,that's what he would do. He liked tobe close to see the last vestiges oflife drain out of his victims.Sometimes I think he regretted hav-ing artificial hands...they preventedhim from truly feeling the flesh dyingin his grasp. Then Red started killingfor the hell of it. At first he would tryto disguise it in the context of themission. This explosive went wrongand took out some bystanders. Thatwas the wrong target—got to tryagain. I took that guy out as a pre-caution. The rest of my wet team andI turned a blind eye because Redwas such a great combat asset. Thatwas how we though of him. Not asanother person, but as a combatasset, like a piece of artillery. Thenhe went off in our face. On a nightinfiltration against a riverine target,Red suddenly decided that the restof us weren't up to his caliber, andwe were jeopardizing the mission.He decided that the only way to suc-ceed was for him to go in alone. Thatmade us expendable, and since wewouldn't agree with his plan, we hadto be removed. Of the seven of us,Red killed five. I barely escaped. Twodays later I lead the heavy detail thattracked him down in Houston, Texaswhere he was holding off three localTac Squads and a 'Borg-squad flownin from Dallas. Even as the 37mmarmor-piercing shell went throughhis breastplate and killed what littleof him was left, he kept fighting. Onlyas I stood over him and watched hissystems shut down did the light ofhumanity return to his eyes. Andthen he was dead.

I have heard many stories fromfriends who have had similar experi-ences. And I have interviewed 'borgsquads around the country abouttheir experiences (see December,2018 issue—Editor), yeah, I know ofguys who went over the edge andwere taken alive. They're toobanged-up for meat replacementsand they're too crazy to take cyber-

netics again. They're just uselesslumps of meat tied to cots with tubessticking into every orifice, or worse,suspended in nutrient baths withnothing but their psychosis to keepthem warm.

It looks like the news has beenspreading, though. In the last fewyears I've seen the tide begin to turna little, and I think that there are afew things behind it. First, too manyof the surviving Solos have seentheir friends turn into mindlessmecha-zombies. Nobody who hasseen it first-hand wants it to happento them, believe me. But it was morethan that. A new sense of pride hasgrown in the second-generationSolos, kids who weren't part of theoriginal cybergrunts in the South-Amwar, or part of those first heady daysof the true freelancers. The new gen-eration wants to prove that it's allthem; that it's all skill. The kids Imeet now might have a first levelbooster, a cybereye, and a smartgunlink. Just the basics to keep thespeed and alertness up. But theheavy-duty hardware—metal armsand legs, implanted weapons, bodyplating—strictly passe.

I've worked with some of thesecond-generation Solos, and, fromwhat I've seen, the best of themhave the skills to back their stripped-down chassis. They work on thebasics: speed, athletic/tactical abili-ty, and the skills to get off a good,clean shot no matter how much EMPis surging through the air. Fourmonths ago I saw a woman who'sonly cyberware was a smartgunsocket, Sandevistan, and cyberop-tics take down a guy who could havestocked an M-5 battle tank with theguns and armor implanted in hisbody. How'd she do it? Brains.Instead of taking the guy head-on,where she would have been alley-paint in about three seconds, sheplayed to her strengths and thecyberman's weaknesses. Metal isslow, and easily detectable. She waslike liquid shadow, leading the 'borgaround though an underground

parking garage. She dropped flaresto block her heat signatures, andnoisemakers to confuse his audio.Then she played hunt and peck;striking quickly, taking out a littlechunk, then moving quickly. She hadan armor long-coat to deflect someof the shrapnel as Mr. Heavy Dutykept detonating entire cars. How'd

SO, NEXTTIME YOU GO

INTO COMBAT,ASK YOUR-SELF, JUSTHOW GOODARE YOU

WITHOUT THETOYS? AND IF

YOU WIN,STOP, AND

ASK YOUR-SELF AGAIN:WAS IT ME,

OR THEMACHINERY?

she get him in the end? Poison dartlodged in the meat section of theguy's wrist. Metal's no good if themeat is dead, and she went straightfor the heart. Now that's subtle.

So, next time you go into com-bat, ask yourself, just how good areyou without the toys? And if you win,stop, and ask yourself again: was itme, or the machinery?

PlayNotes

Cyberpunk's combat systemis designed so that in a high-pow-

ered campaign, a huge amountof cybernetics is necessary tosurvive combat. If you want tode-emphasize cyberware, and

bring your characters backtowards humanity a little more,

try the following.Emphasize in role play just

how rare, and often—ugly, over-cybered people are.

Reward creativity and originalthinking in combat, and discour-

age the unimaginative, brute-force approach.

If players are generating newcharacters, allow them to trade in

some of their initial money forskill points, rather than spending

it on cyberware. Possibly 1 skillpoint per 100 euro.

Award extra experience forcool things accomplished without

cyber-assistance.Play humanity loss and

cyberpsychosis by the book.

IPSC RANGEREVIEWIPSC Night City: Heywood outdoors rangeBy Jan Brett

I 've shot on a lot of ranges, but oneof the overall toughest is the rangeat Heywood. 900 meters of soft

sand pathway through rough terrain,forty targets, and some of the strangestobstacles I've seen.

The Heywood range is run by theNight City IPSC club; a more dementedand technically oriented bunch I'verarely seen. The outdoors range (theyalso have an indoors range in Night Cityproper, out near the docks) is only astones-throw from the Militech ProvingGrounds, which forms a nice back drop;it also means that on occasion the NightCity club gets to use Militech's traininggrounds, which, I am told, are a blast

The overall shoot changes fromtime to time, but what I've describedand mapped below is one of the morecommon scenarios, you start with a fair-ly simple qualifying shot; fifty meters, ifyou can't shoot that with a pistol, youprobably shouldn't be competing, fromthere you go to a set of three targets, allfairly distant, and then the first of thepop-ups. Next is a hostage set-upcalled "Isstvan's Hut"; careful, one ofthose targets shoots back! IPSC; NightCity has got a bunch of targets they callgunners; they're basically pop-up tar-gets with IR/radar targeted splatballguns; they don't hurt you, but each hit isa penalty; precious seconds you can ill-afford. After that is a trio of gunners, fol-lowed by a steep incline that is hard toget down safely (25+ vs Athletics task;fail means fall for 1D6 bruise and1D6/2 rounds to get back up); the wagwho put up the sign that says "Caution;

Falling Solos" has, I'm sure, been com-mended for his efforts.

Not far after that is one of the first ofseveral carefully disguised pit traps.These aren't all that deep, but they arewide, filled with soft sand, and hard tosee till you're almost on top of them(20+ vs Awareness/Combat Sense todetect, 25+ to detect in time to avoidfalling in w/o an Average Athletics test).A little bit farther down the road youcome to a fairly wide stream, with a rick-ety old contraption that they say is arope bridge—and that I say is a hazard tolife and limb. Still, it's better than swim-ming, even if they do have a Gunner setup to shoot at you once you've startedacross the bridge (20+ vs Athletics tocross, or 15+ vs Swimming; attacks ontarget are at -3 in either case).

About 30 meters down the road,you'll probably be surprised to see aminisub surfacing out of the water, withit's deck-gun pointed right at you! TheU-boat is a mock up of an I EC MSV-13,complete with a gunner on the back.The deck gun is really a fully automaticpaintball gun; pretty scary concept.

The next threat is a lot moremobile; a remote controlled PanhardtUCV, complete with splatter-shellgrenade launcher! What's even worse,although disarming the vehicle isn't thathard (just "kill" the gunner), you have todeal with the driver (also a target), as ittries to run you down! Supposedly, thereal driver (safe in a control booth onthe bluff) has never actually hit anyone,but I don't think it's for lack of trying.Me, I usually aim for the tires; getting an

accurate kill though the glass is hard.(Tires are small [-41 targets, while thedriver has total cover).

Past another pit trap is probably thesingle most dangerous target: theSniper. When you start the course, theywarn you that there is a single targetwhich failure to neutralize will disqualifyyou from the match. This is it The firstshot from the Sniper will always miss;but if it hits you after that, you are out ofthe competition. Hitting the Sniper canbe a royal pain, as it's far away, andcarefully concealed on the ridge.

Down past the Sniper is a Malaystick trap known as the "Ugly Stick". It'spadded so it won't really hurt, but it cancertainly knock the wind out of you if itcatches you (20+ vs Awareness/Combat Sense to avoid, Stun Save at -3and 1D6 bruise damage otherwise;turns stunned equals damage taken).

After that is a rapid-fire shoot; fivetargets, all under 30 meters; the idea isto hit them all before they can open fire(double time penalty for hits incurredhere).

Then it's the part I really hate: theswimming. If God meant us to swim,she would have given us gills...and notthe cyber-variety. Anyway, you have toswim about a hundred meters, and allthe while they've got another one ofthose auto-splatball guns spraying allaround you. Then, almost right afteryou get out of the water, up pop threemore gunners, all at real close range.YOU scramble back up the rockface...it's a little less steep here, butstill a pain (20+ vs Athletics, failure

means lose 1D6/2 turns while you tryagain; Critical failure means you got tothe top before falling back down; 1D6bruise damage, lose 1D6 turns).

Now you enter the "Urban" part ofthe run; "Los Villas de la Targetas,"which, I am told, is absolutely lousySpanish (and even worse French), for"The Village of Targets." The targetscheme differs almost weekly, and,since each of the buildings is fully-fur-nished, you sometimes have to doroom by room sweeping (worst waswhen they had a mini-mortar on theroof of the tallest building lobbingpaint grenades on you; you had tofight your way up the building to neu-tralize it or you got lobbed at throughthe whole rest of the run).

Down the run a bit is a classical"idiot ambush" (you know, two idiotson opposite sides of the road, eachwith guns—you drop to the ground andthey shoot each other), only these twoyou still have to shoot (apparently theyhave paint-proof vests). From there isan assassination scenario; you have toshoot the black target while avoidingall the white ones (hits on white targetsare a 15 second penalty apiece; goahead, mow 'em down).

After a nasty sniper job (you have tohit this target; no penalty other than thetime you take, but you can't go on untilyou kill it) and a trio of vanilla pop-ups,is the most bizarre obstacle of the run.As you round the corner of the bluff,you come face to face with a bloodythree-and-a-half meter-tall dinosaur!

No, not a real one. It's anotherremote, cooked up by some techiefriends and members of the club. Butfrom 55 meters away (where it startsout), you really can't tell the difference.The thing stands there and roars atyou for a while (one combat round),then lumbers menacingly towards you(at a rate of 15m per combat round).

The thing is, with an Impact Ratingof 16, this critter is hard to kill; one ofthose times where carrying a largercaliber gun as my competition piecemight be a good idea. And you haven'tgot much time; if it gets within fivemeters of you, you're dead. That's

right; Rex there "eats" you, and you getbumped from the competition. At leastthe blinkin thing doesn't breathe fire...

After all that, you're all clear...orare you? Quick count...thirty-eight tar-gets. But they said forty, didn't they?yep. The last two gunners pop up inthe last 100 meters of the run; 25meters behind you! If you aren't sharp,you can get pegged several timesbefore you realize what's up. Prettysneaky.

All in all, a tough course. I can seewhy the Solos that come out of NightCity are plenty tough and smart; thegood ones all spend time on thiscourse.

Contact Alex D'everaux at (666)718-2296 (fax, net, or comm) formembership information and timesof operation.

Scoringnotes

S coring is based on completiontime, which is how long it tookyou to run the course, plus any

penalties incurred. Each combatround past the first is added into thetime (for instance, if a shooter spendsfour rounds at target #34, they willadd an additional half-minute to theirtime).

Completion Chart

MA01-0405-0708-1011-1314-15

TIME10 minutes

8 minutes, 20 seconds7 minutes

6 minutes, 30 seconds5 minutes

is subtracted (hot and sweaty armor). If ashooter fails any endurance test theyare at a (cumulative) -1 on all actions,and move down one on the completionchart, unless they spend (1D6/3) min-utes to stop and rest

Because of the loose, sandy surface, MA 15 is the fastest speed that can bemaintained for any length of time.

Penalties30 sec90 sec05 sec10 sec20 sec60 sec

Missed pop-up targetskipped targetshot fired past "kill"per paintball hitper micro-missile/genius round usedhitting a hostage

Target DefinitionsTarget: a man-sized white target equipped with special gear to make it give off

a thermal signature identical to that of a human (so it can be locked onto with ther-mal targeting and micro-missiles).

Pop-up: Pop-ups are targets with a limited engagement time; after (1D6/2)combat rounds, they fold back down or away, and the "pop-up target missed"penalty is assessed for that target

Gunner: Gunners are pop-ups that shoot back; each is equipped with a limit-ed auto-targeting paintball gun; they are treated as having (Initiative: 11+D10,Attack; 9+D10, ROF: 3, Shots: 9, UR). They will not aim, semi-randomly sprayingpaint shells everywhere, (of course, these guns could be replaced with real ones, ifsomeone was feeling vicious, or for an especially high stakes competition; statswould be the same, but ROF: 15, Shots: 45, Damage: 2D6+1 ).

Hostage: Hostages are pop-ups of a criminal with hostage; the shooter musthit the criminal without hitting the hostage; this will usually require a Called Shot tothe head (at a -4 to hit).

Autogunner: these are similar to the gunners, but aren't pop-up (they stay tillyou kill them). They sit behind a remote-operated, fully-automatic paintball gun witha hopper full of ammo (Initiative: 9+d10, Attack: 8+D10, ROF: 30, Shots: 150, UR).Once again, these could be replaced with real guns; probably old M-60's.

Grenadiers: These use a semi-automatic low-pressure grenade launcher (morelike a riot gun) firing Splatshells (Chrome 2, pg.47). Stats are (Initiative 9+D10,Attack 6+D10, ROF 3, Shots 15, ST); like the Autogunner, these will continue toengage until neutralized. Of course, the grenades could be switched.

Sniper: There will usually only be one sniper on the course at a time. Anyshooter hit by the sniper is automatically disqualified; out of the show. The first shotfrom the sniper is programmed to always miss (to be "fair"). Stats are; (Initiative:13+D10, Attack: 12+D10, ROF: 1, Shots: 10, ST). The Sniper will continue to fire tillit's out of ammunition.

Endurance TestsRunning in loose sand is hard; running full out (and maintaining full accuracy) is evenharder. At each of the circles on the map, the shooter must make a test vs BOD; theDifficulty number is listed in the circle; Endurance skill is added, but a character's EV

TripwiresWhat Jan doesn't mention are the trip-wires. Located at different points alongthe trail are very fine trip wires, carefullypainted to blend with the surroundings,these wires are a 25+ vs Aware-ness/Combat Sense feat to detectbefore you are tripped by them.Shooters tripped may make a (20 vsAthletics) feat roll to prevent themselvesfrom falling face-first into the ground,suffering 1D6 bruise damage and anextra (1D6/3) rounds delay while youget back up. Of course, by movingdown one on the completion chart(moving slower, not running full tilt), youcan increase the chances of finding thewires to a 20+ vs Awareness/CombatSense roll. The tripwires aren't markedon the map because the number andlocations change all the time. On anygiven day there will be D10 wires,placed as the Referee desires; favoritesare right in front of the pit traps...(2D6real damage if a person falls into a pittrap head first).

Increasing lethalityThe Heywood course is difficult and gru-eling, but not especially lethal. Most ofthe competitors are there to have agood time, or for training, not to getkilled for other's amusement However, itwouldn't be hard to turn this course intoa real death trap; just replace all thepaint guns with real guns, take off thepadding on the Ugly Stick and replace itwith a big blade (say 5D6 damage, AP asknife), fill the pit traps with water, or flam-ing gas, or punji sticks, you get the idea.

As designed, the Heywood courseis almost infinitely modifiable; you canadd remotes, more robo-dinos (or othercritters), PA suits, more targets, whatever.The course changes frequently; thedesigners, in fact, have a competition tosee who can come up with the mostchallenging (but non-lethal) course .

Target List

Below is a listing of every target on the course, the range (usual) to them, andwhether they are behind partial (P), total (T), or no (O) cover, as well as the type,and any notes.

NOTESTARGET #123456789101112131415

16

171819202122232425262728293031323334

35363738

RANGE50m25m35m30m10m25m15m25m25m15m20m20m15m20m10-65m

40m

25m20m20m20m25m40-65m5m10m10m5m15m15m15m50m10m10m30m70m

20m25m25m25m

COVEROPPPPPPOOOPOPTP

T

OOOOOPOOOPOOOOOOOO

OOOO

TYPEtargettargettargettargetpop-uppop-uppop-uphostagegunnergunnergunnergunnergunnerautogunnergrenadier

Sniper

pop-uppop-upgunnerpop-upgunnerautogunnergunnergunnergunnergunnergunnergunnerhostagepop-upgunnergunnerpop-uptarget

pop-uppop-uppop-upCyberDino

Isstvan's Hut

Rope BridgeU-BoatPanhardt moves atMA:25; will not getcloser than 10mshooter disqualified ifsniper hits; first shotalways misses

Los Villas de la Targetas

Idiot Ambush

AssassinationSniper; cannot contin-ue run until target isneutralized

Requires multiple hitsto neutralizeBackstab; Awareness/Combat Sense vs 25or surprised

Weapon Notes

IPSC weapons are divided into threebasic categories: Minor, Major, andExtreme calibers. Each category isbased on muzzle energy (damagedone), as follows:

Minor Caliber:Major Caliber:Ext Caliber:

2d6+2 or less 14d6 or less 2over 4d6 4

The last number is impact rating;this is used to determine equivalencyfor targets like the cyber-dino, whichrequire more than one hit To determinehow many rounds of a given categoryare needed, divide the Impact rating ofthe target by the Impact rating of theround in use (example; cyber-dino hasan Impact rating of 16; this means itwould take 4 Extreme, 8 Major, or 16Minor caliber hits to neutralize it).

The Heywood run is gearedtowards pistols and sub-machine guns(even SMGs suffer a 2 minute penalty inmost cases because of their longerrange); Assault rifles and other heavyweapons aren't allowed, both becauseof the chances of injury to other con-testants and the gross imbalance of fire-power involved. Micro-missile launch-ers are allowed (either in integratedweapons or as under-barrel devices),but a stiff penalty is assessed for theiractual use (because it is the weapon,not the shooter, doing the work).

IPSC weapons are not cheap; mostwill run 5,000eb and up, and generallyaren't suitable for duty carry due to theadvanced (and somewhat fragile)optics, smartgun arrays, COTs, andother large and fragile gadgets hookedup to them. They are, however, very reli-able, accurate, fast, and lethal.

Competitors are dyingon the Heywoodrange! One gotmauled by the Dino,another cooked byacid rounds from anautogunners. yet an-

other died after losing both feet to amonowire tripwire. The players have tofigure out who's behind the mur-ders. . .or they may be next

39 25m O gunner

40 25m O gunner

HIRINGHALL

Adventure, Information, and Classifieds forthe Professional Corporate Soldier

MILITECH NEEDSYOU NOW!We're looking for menwilling to take foreignassignments in the

Pacific Ocean Area. CITIC [ChinaInternational Trust & Investment] isexpanding their association with usand the company needs more liaisonreps to meet the demand. If you're will-ing to spend up to two years inGuangdong, Fujian or Jiangsu, withoccasional "testing missions" to theinterior, contact us now. Our trainedpersonnel staff at any WesternHemisphere location are standing byto enlist you!

People of Taiwanese descent should not apply for

political reasons.

Our best to Jersey. Clear LOS and fullmagazines. Sorry to see you go. Fromyour buds at the Forlorn Hope.

Vets with Combat Engineeringexperience may want to look me up.I've got some steady assignments on-tap. My outfit's rep speaks for itself.Send records via Net Node5105.27.5045SP rustbelt. Jon Meta atMetaKey.

flugereau, the rockreached Lappland. Splitthe midgets four mays.Beauregard.

ARASAKASECURITYSeeks warriors todefend their ances-tral homelands in

Indonesia. Enlightened Asian develop-ment interests in the area are threatenedby a multitude of outside forces seekingto prevent the progress of economicactions in the People's interest EastAsian expatriates of all nations areencouraged to join a growing force oflike-minded individuals dedicated to pro-tecting the principles of the IndonesianDemocratic Party. Full training and equip-ment provided. Apply at the Arasakaoffices in Osaka, Hong Kong, Bangkok orSingapore.Arasaka Security-The last

career move you'll everneed! to make.

Hiring extras with combat experi-ence, armorers, and set securityfor filming of epic Tri-D Last Gun inthe World. Contact B.W. or R.W.at Dead Hope Productions outsideof Tampa, FL.

China Sea Tattoo. Honolulu's oldest tat-too parlor. Quality work by dedicated,talented professionals. No appointmentnecessary. D. Hardy, owner & artist.

Beau, lake i fast Dirigible to Tromsi. Hive foundLeStoal. Ed.

I've trained since birth forany kind of ACPA mission.Drop an electronic note toCody P. Box 5573 Night City.CA for list of qualifications.

There's A StormComing.

Help

Wanted forTsunamifirms

Are you better than the best? Thenwe are looking for you! An up andcoming armament design bureauand weapon manufacturer, we areopening a Night City branch, and arelooking for competent security per-sonnel, middle management, streetcontacts, technical advisors andmechanics, computer operators, andfield testing personnel. Interestedparties should contact AlbertMoriyuki at 503-555-9173. We offerfirst-rate pay and benefits, interestingwork, and the chance to get in onthe ground floor of a rising star!Discrete professionals only.

The Winter Ghost rides again.Confidentiallity, discretion, delivery guaran-teed. Net Node 9134.92.2169MD Detroit.

Putting together gun team forSouth Pacific CIW mission. Reconspecialists and Heavy Weaponsmen a must. Must have 2 yearsmilitary experience. Amphibioustraining a bonus. Deadline isJanuary 30,2021 to present your-self at Malagay embassy forinspection. Ask for Capt. PaulSaino or Reservoir Rex.