Second Generation Heavy Weapons Mobile Suit
Limited Production || Zern Empire
Unit Appearance
The Tommy HW is a noticeably sturdy design like its original, being a more developed mobile suit with a greater armor than the Redcoat. However, its armoring has been visible reduced and drastically reduced the weight of the unit, with the highest concentration of its retained armor being on the chest to primarily protect the cockpit and reactor. Its head retains the pith-helmet shape with a similar vertical compound sensor to the Redcoat and standard Tommy.
Its still-rounded shoulders do not retain their rounded armored pauldrons entirely, however, but instead have only a small bit of armor on the front of the shoulder and towards the inside of it due to being adjusted for the mounting of missile pods on the outside of each shoulder. Likewise, the addition of two thrusters on the back of each of the unit’s shoulders also stands out as a more unique feature.
The paint job of the Tommy HW was changed to be more evenly red and black, replacing the usual white, making its paint job stand out over that of the standard Tommy and Tommy Commander but fall into the same overall theme in terms of its paint job.
Technical Details
Accommodation:Pilot only, standard three-screen cockpit
Dimensions:18 Meters tall
Powerplant: Medium-output Wilberforce Reactor
Equipment and Design Features: • Moderate Improvements The Tommy HW is virtually a standard Tommy in terms of its construction build, though has had some modifications made. Firstly it has had its armor reduced, drastically reducing the unit's weight to increase the speed, with the main concentration of remaining armor on it being on the chest to protect the cockpit and reactor. Further, the weapons and equipment carrying capacity of the unit was increased via the reduction of armor and placement of added attachment points on its frame.
Similar to the improvements of the Tommy Commander, these modifications are not suitable for widespread application to the standard Tommy, but are on the other hand very suitable for the more specialized "mobile heavy assault" role that Tommy HW was made to fill.
• Added Thrusters The Heavy Weapons variant of the Tommy possesses two additional thrusters mounted on the back of its shoulders. These keep the extra thrusters out of the way of any equipment the unit is carrying, but also grants it a superior thrust and maneuverability to basic Tommy units. It does, however, lack the same "burst" potency as the Tommy Commander despite out-speeding it in normal movement speed and maneuverability. These thrusters also compensate speed-wise for the weight of the added equipment the Tommy HW carries.
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
• HoldoversThe Tommy HW can carry the equipment of the standard Tommy, or even wield some of the old weapons of the Redcoat, as per specific requests from a pilot.
• 130mm KESHIG Heavy Machine GunAn improvement on the 120mm LEWIN-11 from the Redcoat generation, this weapon was designed as a heavy machine gun for use by the standard Tommy (and this variant of it) in a heavy weapons role. It possesses a higher rate of fire, increased range, and distinctly increased penetration power. It utilizes a 250 round, quick-change large box magazine as well in battle. It has increased effectiveness against armored targets, and is exceptional at shredding lightly armored or vulnerable targets
• Attachable MARS (Multiple Accelerated Rocket Salvo) System This particular form of weapon is a pair of attach-able rocket launchers sandwiching on either side of the twin-engine backpack of the unit and sitting just above it between the shoulders, which is easily installed onto the back of a Mobile Suit and detached just as easily without bumping into other parts of it. The system also has an armored ammunition-filled metal pack that is attached to the top of the two launchers, that which when the launchers are in the inactive position provides some cover and protection to the top part of the twin-engine thruster backpack of the unit without blocking it from working. The rocket launchers themselves automatically reload from this metal pack, which can be jettisoned to be replaced with a fresh pack...or even if it has been damaged too much to where the the ammunition risks being detonated prematurely by enemy attacks. This system was in particular made for the Tommy, and the Tommy HW being designed with use of this weapon in mind. The system deploys the rocket launchers over the top of the shoulders in a tall/narrow shape (the metal pack hanging over the MS' head) to fire their respective 25 rocket payloads (50 in total) before retracting onto the back once more to automatically reload or otherwise remain inactive until they are used again.
The rocket launchers and ammunition loading is built into this attach-able system itself, meaning the Mobile Suit does not have to have any added installations to use this standardized system.
However, the rockets these launchers fire are themselves distinct yet simple. High-power and high-payload, yet slim enough to keep the launchers and attached system from being too big and bulky, they utilize a precision timed fuse that the pilot can set prior to firing them. The fuse cannot be, however, affected after the rockets have been fired.
The their outer shell of the rockets is built to withstand forces as they move through air or space...yet fragments violently and sharply upon detonation with fragments of nanocarbon in it that can be dangerous around the detonation area. Likewise, the rockets detonate with high-power and produce a wide blast wave as well as very intense heat. By being fired in large groupings or concentrated clusters of enemies, the rockets can cover a modestly wide area with dense fire.
This attachment has been used in space operations, as well as long-range bombardment operations against pirate bases or clusters of surface troops to deal wide damage. Its effectiveness grows even more in large-scale situations when many Tommy’s have these and fire simultaneously into the enemy lines.
The launchers can fire full payloads, half payloads, and quarter loads of rockets at a given time. This function is to help conserve rockets for pilots, and at least try to help maximize the effective use of this attachment in battle.
Fixed Armaments
• FAF Tri-Missile Pod x4 With a total of 4 missile pods fitted to the outside of each of the shoulders (2 for each shoulder), these aerodynamically-designed missile pods can naturally unleash up to 12 missiles in total. Each launcher is self-contained and fires an advanced “smart” fire-and-forget type of missile. These are a reconfiguration of the old Redcoat missile pods, made to utilize a more advanced munition just as easily with little changes having to be made. However, these missile launchers do not stick out much if even at all, and due to the self-navigating nature of their payload the missile pods don’t have to be more complex than just pointing outwards from the unit and being able to fire out their payload.
• 30mm Gatling x2 Built onto the head of the ZIMS-02H Tommy Heavy Weapons are a pair of multi-barreled Vulcan guns, capable of firing 30mm rounds in deafening sprays. Though not effective against mobile suit armor they can be used to shoot down incoming projectiles or for shredding smaller more lightly armored targets. This is the same here as it is on the regular Tommy.
• Collapsing Pike v2.0 The forearm compartment of the Tommy HW has been used to store a Collapsing Pike refurbished and somewhat modified from those made for the Redcoat generation of Mobile Suits. It is useful in close quarters when enemies engage in melee with the unit, and can be extended quickly with its plastisteel telescopic handle. The only differences are that the bottom-most piece of the collapsible pike has included a heavier section to help “balance” the weight of the weapon for better melee use, and the bottom-most section of the pike contains a single non-explosive rocket.
Outside of melee use, which is its normal form of usage, the pike can be fully extended and thrown like a javelin at a distance. The rocket in the lowest part of the handle then kicks in, extending four stabilizing fins and driving it forward like a solid javelin towards the intended target. Yet the rocket does not activate unless the javelin is in a fully-extended state, and the pilot presses a manual trigger for it that can be easily put in and taken out of the MS unit’s cockpit. This function, however, works far better in space or when thrown does towards the surface of a planet than it ever does when under the effects of gravity on a planet’s surface. The deployed stabilizing fins are more of an attempt to help it be “more viable” for on-planet use when its thrown form is used, in all honesty.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The Tommy HW is an MS designed to work alongside the regular Tommy, or rather be supported by it. Boasting a higher speed and offensive payload than the standard Tommy and other Tommy variants, these units are employed to assail enemies with high firepower from afar whilst making use of more heavy weapons equipment long made available to the standard Tommy in times past. These units usually take on the role of using their firepower to draw attention and deal high damage, whilst comrades usually in the standard Tommy variants can be able to support and screen them against enemies who try to attack them. Distinctly higher speed allows for the unit to retreat behind allies quickly as well, hit-and-run, and even flee from engagements or change positions more quickly on the fly.
However, the unit's reduced armor and added thrusters, along with its increased offensive payload, make it a ripe target on the battlefield for foes looking to stop the unit's more devastating heavy weapons fire. Less defenses and more vulnerable points make this MS more of a glass cannon, though not as vulnerable as the old Redcoat MS. It can take a little fire, depending on what is hitting it (likely just light weapons), but this is not something it can rely on at all. Otherwise it's designed to stray little from that of the standard Tommy, save for the modifications to be a better heavy-weapons-style force.
Technical History
The ZIMS-02 Tommy was designed to replace the aging Redcoat and filled the role it did very well. However not everyone was satisfied. Though a good general purpose combat mobile suit, the Tommy was lacking in other areas and failed to deliver on the needs of those operating in more specialized roles. Sharpshooters, scouts, and especially officers and in-field commanders found the Tommy wanting. Not the least among these were those who had once taken up a "heavy assault" type of role on the battlefield, laying down higher fire to assist their comrades on the front lines.
However since the Tommy was designed to be simple and easy to repair, it also meant that there was plenty of room for additions and modifications. Instead of producing an entirely new mobile suit different parts and equipment could be made for the ZIMS-02 Tommy to adapt it to a new role.
This is where the ZIMS-02H Tommy Heavy Weapons came in. Modified to be the sheer "added firepower" needed to better secure victory on the battlefield alongside the standard Tommy, including the suppression and interception of enemy forces from a distance, it was a form of semi-specialization that would allow greater versatility on the battlefield and help minimize how many regular Tommy units had to be dedicated to the assault role. With more standard Tommy units able to perform the basic front job, the Tommy HW filled a niche on the battlefield that allowed the Zern military to better suppress enemy forces with their fire (as well as deal notable damage) in battle situations.
Added equipment carrying capacity and speed allowed the new unit to perform well in its assault role as well, and its speed meant it could even flee well enough to keep enemies from capturing them and their extra weaponry (or potentially assist a fleeing commander by intercepting enemies).
Soldiers and pilots placed in these units tend to be ones whose talents stand out with heavy weapons more than others, and they are then drilled in this unit and its armaments in order to maximize their skills on the battlefield. They aare also mixed in with regular groups of Tommy pilots, and even placed on teams with other strange units), to adjust them to working with other kind of Tommys as they will be doing on the battlefield. Pilots of these units tend to be "elite" in terms of skills, at least as compared to the average soldier, though this is due to both the costs and value placed into these units when they are deployed onto the battlefield.
Performance-wise, the Tommy HW has seen a generally good and stable track record since its deployment, and a few aces have emerged out of pilots of this unit as well in the past.
