Marsden II

The Marsden II Main Battle Tank was introduced by Arcturan Arms in 2463 to improve upon and replace its venerable predecessor after seventy years of frontline service. Not only did it share the name of the Lyran Commonwealth's late founding father with the Marsden I, but also its mission profile and much of its general layout. Improved technical and manufacturing knowledge stemming from Operation Prometheus allowed the company to improve the new tank's arms and armor while still making it five tons lighter. With its excellent firepower and thick armor, it was considered a cutting edge combat vehicle when it premiered during the Age of War.

The initial production of the Marsden II took a decade in which the first batch still utilized what has become termed as Primitive Technology before the manufacturer switched to modern technology for the rest of its production run. The first, primitive batch was quickly upgraded or phased out.

Through the 2470s and '80s, the tank became the Lyran Commonwealth's frontline main battle tank. However, Arcturan Arms' economic difficulties in Arcturus' long recession (starting with the move of the Commonwealth's capital to Tharkad) caused the company to bleed money and lose ground in the technological arms race, until it was finally bought out by MacEnroe Motors of Donegal in 2545. The new company immediately decided to end the tank's production run in favor of the new Marsden III, whose dismal failure led to MacEnroe Motors' closure only six years later, ending the Marsden line of tanks for centuries.

The durable Marsden II continued to soldier on in various planetary militias and private security force arsenals into the Succession Wars, where the last remaining units were finally destroyed.

During the Word of Blake's Jihad, the Marsden II design was revived in new a incarnation with production facilities on Arcturus, Halfway and Buena.

Weapons and Equipment
The tank's main gun, the turret-mounted Arcturan Arms Longarm Series Autocannon/5, serves as its principle long range weapon, with one ton of ammunition for it. Providing for close-in firepower, the tank has two front-mounted, 6-tube Short Range Missile launchers with two tons of ammunition. To handle infantry, the Marsden II mounts a pair of General A70 Model Machine Guns, which share half a ton of ammunition.

The tank is protected by 17.5 tons of 'Mech grade armor, with more protection allocated to its front. The tank's internal combustion engine provides enough horsepower to give tank a good 54 km/h. This allowed it to keep respectable speed when facing frontline forces.

Variants

 * Marsden II (Primitive Armor) : The original prototype for the Marsden II, the tank features an even amount of primitive armor on all locations. The tank otherwise offers the same weaponry and speed as its production model. BV (2.0) = 800, 762


 * Marsden II-A : The only successful field variant from the original production run of the tank. This variant removes both machine guns, one of the SRM-6 launchers and a ton of SRM ammo to swap out the AC/5 for a Strongarm Autocannon/10 with four tons of ammunition. BV (2.0) = 1,054, 980


 * Marsden II-A (LB-X) : A Jihad-era production variant of the Marsden II-A, this tank receives an infusion of modern weaponry. The tank's Strongarm Autocannon is swapped out for an LB-X Autocannon/10 with two tons of ammunition. The original II-A's SRM-6 is replaced with a pair of Streak SRM-2 launchers with one ton of ammunition mounted in the front of the vehicle. To add some protection from infantry, the tank returns a single machine gun to the turret with a half ton of ammo. BV (2.0) = 1,090, 1,013

Related Designs

 * Marsden I

Notable Pilots

 * Hauptmann Eric Dinesen.