Black Adder

Specifications
Use	Assault Gear
Production Code	OACS-04M/AS
Manufacturer	Dynamic Systems
Height	4.5 meters
Speed	Walker: 43 kph SMS: 73 kph

Proclaimed “the safest Gear ever designed,” the Black Adder was built with crew survivability as its prime objective. The Black Adder is a direct evolution of the Sidewinder design, another Gear built with the pilot’s safety in mind. The Adder was the first Gear independently produced by Dynamic Systems, a company better known for cooperative efforts and consultation on other corporations’ designs.

The Sidewinder was just such a cooperative effort with Territorial Arms, but was rumored to end with bad blood between the companies. When Dynamic released the Adder, based on the shared Sidewinder chassis, TA threatened legal action. Dynamic Systems’ lawyers were able to prove ownership of the basic design of the Sidewinder and Territorial Arms was forced to allow the Adder to enter production. The antagonism between the companies has never healed, however.

Thick armor plates surround the Adder’s chest and cockpit area, allowing the pilot to survive attacks that would vaporize him in any other Gear. Under all the additional armor plates on the torso, the Black Adder uses the same basic chassis as the Sidewinder, but features an entirely redesigned main body. The head and torso are completely fused, the sensors being housed in a small ball turret located at the front. Twin “rabbit ear” antennae emerge from the top portion of the main body and are fully articulated.

Unlike many Gear designs, the heavy armor of the crew compartment prevents the use of the “sensors eject” function that allows pilots to view the environment outside without electronic help. Despite the layers of additional protection, the speed, agility and electronic capabilities of the Adder generally match the Jäger.

The main armament of the Black Adder reflects its mission as an armor hunter. The deadly SRWI 90 mm assault gun carried in the vehicle’s manipulators is capable of damaging even the largest tank and destroying most other vehicles on the field. A single FSRP-42N 71 mm shoulder-mounted rocket pod provides additional firepower to use against lightly armored targets, with a slightly increased range.

Usage

Dynamic Systems, despite its design expertise, could not wield the production power of Territorial Arms. While TA can produce components for many specialized models in parallel with those for more common models, keeping production costs down, the Black Adder had to bear a price tag reflective of its small production run. Its specialized mission profile also limits its versatility in combat, keeping orders limited to dedicated tank-hunting units. These factors have kept the Adder a somewhat rare, but well-liked, Gear.

Pilots who have access to it are very fond of the Adder, not only because of its many layers of protection for pilots, but because of a large number of small design touches. Adder pilots can go one for hours about additional cockpit padding, more ergonomic control sticks, conformable safety harnesses, efficient targeting displays and nearly silent cooling systems. Technicians similarly appreciate the well-laid-out and color-coded electronic subsystems, accessible hydraulic pumps and well-insulated systems.

Although certainly not as easy to maintain as the tried and-true Jäger, Dynamic Systems’ Adder is a technicians dream when compared to the TA Spitting Cobra or Black Mamba. The Gear has also performed well in combat, including against the hovertanks of the Colonial Expeditionary Force. Unlike the Sidewinder, which was phased out after the arrival of the Black Mamba, the Black Adder continues to serve as one of the premier Gear tank hunters in the southern hemisphere.

The Black Adder has, however, remained at the center of legal battles between Dynamic Systems and Territorial Arms. These conflicts were most virulent in the late TN 1890s, just after the release of the Adder. TA claimed that Dynamic had stolen the Sidewinder design and Dynamic had to fight to keep the Adder on the market. The company received active support from military circles, where the design was well appreciated. A renewed outburst of corporate rivalry appeared when TA released the Striking Cobra during the War of the Alliance, partially in an effort to force the Adder into retirement. The two machines now serve together on the battlefield, the military using each to its best advantage.

Gallery

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