Gaiaterra: Elysea's Conflict/Oaxaca Tank

"Oaxaca on arrival!"

-...

The Oaxaca Tank is the Confederation's medium tank. Set to be voiced by Morgan Berry.

Tactical analysis

 * Armoured Spearhead: The indigenous main battle tank of the Confederation, the Oaxaca Tank is the front line of the Confederation's armored forces. It is well armored and stands up well to enemy fire, but its main gun and twin sponson cannons are criminally underpowered.
 * Dot the Landscape: As the indigenous Tarantula Hawk is to spiders, the eugenically modified Anvil Hawk is to vehicles. Growing up to six feet in length with a foot-long reinforced stinger capable of punching through tank armor, such creatures are named for the Ursas they overran in their first trial outing. Oaxaca Tanks are designed to lay artificial 'hives' of Anvil Hawks on the field behind them as they move, where their stealthed nature and long-range enable them to act as surprise artillery for enemies engaging Oaxacas at the front lines.
 * Hold the line: To help the Confederation entrenchment doctrine, every Oaxaca tank is also equipped with a scrambling array that forces enemies trying to attack allies behind it to attack them, and repair kits which it distributes to surrounding vehicles to keep them in the fight.
 * Better Wall than Arrow: Confederation doctrine emphasizes range over firepower, and the Oaxaca suffers in terms of raw damage output. Enemies who manage to get within their own firing range have the advantage when it comes to straight-up firefights.

History
"They'll never get past my shell!"

-Oaxaca Tank operator

When the Confeceration first came into existence, Tyria was home to a small but thriving Aquilan security force, equipped with the finest in second-rate military armaments, including the venerable M48 Patton. A mainstay of the Aquilans since the GVAW, the Tyrian main battle tanks found themselves in fierce combat against one another in the minor revolution against the Confederation, as military deserters and loyalists clashed in the hills and deserts of the new nation-coalition. And after the Confederation had established itself as a power, it continued to use what Pattons and Leopard 1s it had as its MBT for some time, until by 2001 V.C. there came a problem - the tanks were approaching obsolescence and disrepair at levels greater than expected, and with the Tyrians and Arkesians breaking free from the Aquilans precious little support for maintaining and updating them could be expected. Alternative options were discussed - asking the Aquilans for new Pattons to support the nation's peacekeeping forces' was obviously dropped as it would be asking their oppressor for help, while buying more tanks from the Syndicate was discussed but ultimately opposed. In the end, a third option was decided upon by the various production and economic counsels, and in 2002 V.C. the first T12 Oaxaca Tank rolled out the front door of the first Caballo Compositeworks manufactory plant.

With little if any prior experience in tank design, the designers of the Oaxaca looked to existing battle tanks for inspiration. The end result, though taking influences from several other vehicles, is well tailored to fit the Confederation's military doctrine and philosophy. Admittedly, the Oaxaca's armament is not very impressive by modern standards; the 90mm gun is less powerful than the calibers favored elsewhere, not to mention the even heavier caliber guns that tank designers are beginning to incorporate into their designs, and the 60mm mortar installed on the front is little more than a pop gun against modern armor. Some outside the Confederation were puzzled by this move; however, in the opinion of the Oaxaca's designers, conventional, chemical-propellant guns are nearing obsolescence, with the numerous strides and advances being made in armor technology. Instead, they believe that the future of anti-tank weaponry lies in new forms of weaponry; coilguns, cyclotrons, energy weapons, and the like. To them, the 75mm gun is only a stopgap, until the Oaxaca's real armament could be developed.

The same cannot be said for its protection. Though the exact composition of the Oaxaca's armor plating is a secret to outsiders, it is known that a great deal of Confederation expertise in metallurgy and materials sciences was poured into its development. This shows in battle; the Oaxaca can shrug off blows that would have been sufficient to destroy a similarly sized tank several times over; while lacking the first-hit capability of other tanks, it is expected to be the last tank standing in any engagement.

Probably the greatest advantage of the Oaxaca, however, is not in its armor or its armament, but in its modularity; components are designed to be easily swapped out, and the entire tank can be broken down into multiple parts. Believing that the Confederation's constant scientific and technological advances would be quick to render previous generations of technology obsolete, the designers decided to build the Oaxaca to be easily upgradable, so that it would always have the best the Confederation had to offer. Not only can existing parts be replaced, but new components can be installed as well; one such example was the installation of compartments for specialized projectiles next to the mortar, allowing it to fire specialized projectiles while the main gun kept firing, including smaller munitions, chain shot, and even occasionally chemical or phosphorous rounds. There are some other advantages to this as well; damaged or worn-out components can be quickly replaced, and entire Malice tanks can be quickly assembled from their component parts even in the midst of combat.

All things considered, the resultant tank has become the symbol of a transition in the Confederation from the old ways to the new, for better or for worse. The Oaxaca Tank requires different handling and piloting instruction to control its weaknesses and master its strengths than other tanks in Combine service, and much propaganda surrounding the instruction programs point out the fact that the next generation of drivers will be piloting Confederation tanks, not Allied or Aquilan war machines. It is clear that such drivers will need to be trained to make the most of known and theoretical tactics, as their actions on the field will determine the future of Confederation armoured warfare strategy.

Though *TBA* division of the Confederation prefers the conventional and homegrown modernization of Ironforge-made Leopard 1s and the Arkesians prefer their homegrown TAM tank (of which modified from the Ironforge Marders 1s)

Guardians of the Tacitus

 * Crusader II/Laser Crusader (Aquila)
 * Coyote/Stryker MGS
 * Centurion Hovertank/Enforcer Hovertank
 * Grizzly Tank (Alliance)
 * Cavalier Tank
 * Liberty Tank
 * M1 Predator (ADI)
 * Type 74 MBT/Tsunami Tank (Protectorate)
 * Leopard 3 (Andora)
 * Guardian Tank
 * Panther
 * Battlemaster Tank (Empire)
 * Nuclearmaster
 * Cadillac Stingray (Community)
 * Bushmaster Tank (Wolf Clan)

Destroyers of Balthazar

 * Kodiak Tank (Voshkod)
 * T-64 Rhino
 * Ursa II Tank
 * Tick Tank (Brotherhood)
 * T-62
 * Type 59 (Horde)
 * Looted Lemia Russ Tank
 * T-72 "Scarab" (MLA)
 * Lasher Tank (Collective)
 * T-55 (Encantadia)
 * Ch'onma-Ho (Hathoria)
 * M15/42 (Lireo)
 * Devourer Tank (Scrin)

Neutrals

 * Predator Destructor (Coalition)
 * Sicaran Tank (Heralds)
 * Cleric Track (Order)
 * M48 Patton "Mastiff" (Survivors)
 * Talos AFV (Syndicate)
 * BMPT Terminator (Conglomerate)
 * Lemia Russ Tank (Legion)

Minor Factions

 * Crusader I (National Guard)
 * Ampere Ursa II (GSEL)
 * John Brown Tank (Shock Division)
 * Mastiff Medium Tank (Irving's Raiders)
 * Leopard C1 (Zemurian Armed Forces)
 * ... (Amiri's Hunters)
 * T-55F (Militia)
 * Conquermaster (Secret Police)
 * ... (Rearguards)
 * Seeker of Elysea (Network)
 * Devil Amazon M41A1 Walker Bulldog (Amazons)
 * ... (Enclave)
 * ... (NCC)
 * ... (Red Line Union)

Bonus Faction

 * MBT-52 Kuma (ASA)
 * OF-40 "Takhar" (Bastion)
 * MBT Creep (Rangers)
 * AAV-7 (Pirates)
 * PT-76
 * KPz T-62 "Hammer" (Ascalia)
 * White Shock Rhino Tank (Alfheimr Shock Corps)
 * Rama Tank (Elona)
 * Lion of Babylon
 * Predator Walker (Dominion)
 * M60 Sabra (Security)
 * Dandelin Armoured Rover (Ascendancy)

DLC

 * Bison (Federation)
 * Qilin Tank (Corona)
 * ... (Party)
 * AAT (Skynet)
 * Sd. KS 78 "Isegrim" (Elemental)
 * 2-M (Autocracy)
 * 59-Patton (League)
 * ... (Swarm)
 * TAM Tank (Confederation)
 * Oaxaca Tank
 * Tyrian Leopard 1D
 * Strv 103B (Kingdom)
 * Strider (Goo)
 * Panzerwagen (Imperium)
 * ... (Dynasty)
 * T-44 (Warlords)
 * Abomination (Cult)
 * Bison Combat Tank (Raiders)
 * Mark V (Theocracy)
 * Panzer IV (Reiksgard)
 * T-55AMV (Insurgents)
 * Conqueror (Guardians)
 * Phase Tank (Hierarchy)
 * ... (Sundered)
 * T-62M (Ecumene)
 * Centurion (Concordat)
 * Cromwell
 * Cantha-Panzer
 * M60-2000 (Contingent)
 * PL-01 (Eden)
 * Edenfire Crusader (InGen)
 * Elephant Tank (Society)
 * ... (Conclave)
 * M47-Mod (Commune)
 * Type 61 (The Uncorrupted)
 * ... (Lordships)
 * ... (Directorate)
 * ... (Sanctum)
 * ... (Hallows)
 * Vickers (Clique)
 * Chi-Ha (Guild)
 * Spike Bug (Threat)
 * Gallagher Outlaw Mk. II (Traders)
 * CS-63 (Entente)
 * Mancubus (Oblivion)
 * T-103 (Corporation)
 * Eklon'Dal Workshop Marauder (Covenant)
 * H.I.S.S. Tank (Institute)
 * TT77 Nosorog (Eremite)
 * ... (Nimbus)
 * Parasol Tank (Carnival)
 * Chrono Chieftain (Wraiths)
 * ... (Chronophage)
 * Tiger Armoured Car (Privateers)
 * Predator Apex (Foundation)
 * Panzerwanderer (Spartacus)