A while back we pre-viewed the Taranis Runner Drones designed by Bob Naismith you can see this article HERE. In a few short days these drones will feature as a FREE PACK supplied with every IAF100 Taranis Tracked Tank during the Early Support Offers. After that they will be released as a normal code as a pack of five, choice of singles or buy three packs and save 10% as part of The Ion Age 15mm range. This article gives you the first proper look at the drones all painted up and finished and ain't they just lovely!
“It was chief engineer and fabrication guild master Ulus McTear who first came up with the notion of drones for use with the various types of Taranis main battle tank hulls in Precinct service. Protecting the crews of the vehicles was the guild masters first and foremost aim since the time taken to train on such a large and complex hull made replacing members of the crew a painful experience. However the factor of cost was also paramount in his mind. With more than eighty tons of titanium alloy in every Taranis as well as many other expensive systems such as its GroatVey MkX HeavyIon Reasc Fusion Reactor its loss had to be avoided if possible. Originally in late 4200's IC the use of sentient mind droids was field tested and worked well but with the horror of the Gurtan Activation in 4302IC these were shut down and destroyed. The casings and systems of the droids were converted across to slaved robotic drones controlled by the crew of the Taranis. While this marginally slowed the reactions of the drones and limited them to a close protection of the tank this was seen as no bad thing by McTear who lost a cousin to the machines on Gurtan. There are two primary types of motive systems for the Taranis drones and these are allocated by the propulsion types of the tanks themselves with runner legged drones being assigned to tracked and wheeled hulls while repulsar drones are paired with hover and repulsar Taranis tanks. The role of the drones is protection and in limited ways attack and repair of their assigned vehicle. Five standard types of drone are in use as of 4303IC. These are the light missile drone which uses 30mm Anda guided rockets to keep light vehicles and incoming munitions away from its tank. The laser strike drone which has twin rotation mounted wide beam Valerin 2Mw lasers to assault enemy infantry and intercept incoming projectiles. A particle dispersal drone is fitted with fine filament explosive caps and smoke generators to provide interference with visual spectrum, electro-magnetic and plasma projectiles to a limited degree. A single direction comms suite gives the transmission jammer drone the ability to disrupt enemy signals and conduct sonic attacks. Lastly there is the field repair drone and this most specialised machine has the task of attempting small repairs to its Taranis when opportunity presents itself. These repairs are of course not on the same scale as those as a portable castle and its fleet of drones can effect but it can make all the difference when it matters. Interestingly the field repair drones came about after failed experiments with drones mounting tiny Hurwent Generators as every student of energy fields knows a stable haze cannot be generated with low power and with constant movement within an atmosphere. Taranis Drones are a valuable part of a Knight Commander's mobile armour arsenal and Precinct main battle tanks seldom enter the fray without them.”
Academy Auto-Trainer Series 52, New Glastonbury, 4335IC
There are five different drones all supplied in two white metal parts with a set of legs and a different upper body which sits naturally into a bowl mount at the waist allowing upper body posing. Each drone has a different function in the protection and repair of a Taranis tank. From left to right these are as follows:
1. Missile Pod Drone
2. Laser Strike Drone
3. Particle Dispersal Drone
4. Transmission Jammer Drone
5. Field Repair Drone
Above is a scale photo showing a Retained Knight from IAF008 Retained Post Charlie. A typical Human miniature it is 17mm tall and shows the Missile Pod Drone and Particle Dispersal Drone on either side. The Drones assembled stand between typically 17mm tall and 24mm tall for the tallest. This scales them perfectly in 15mm and also makes them waist height for a 28mm miniature too. Scale variable!
So...The Early Supporter Offers will give you a pack of five worth 5.00GBP free with every IAF100 Taranis Tank you pre-order purchase. After all every main battle tank needs a little love!
One more article to come before the offers begin...watch out for it!
Thanks for Reading.
GBS
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