Developed from the earlier Spartan battlesuit, the Myrmidon was intended to replace APCs one a nine-for-one basis. While it is true that nine Myrmidons cost about the same as a front-line APC with three crew and six infantry, there are several disadvantages.
First, even compared to tracked vehicles, battlesuits have awful strategic mobility and also have much lower tactical speeds. In most cases, battlesuits can't be armored as well as APCs (for example, from most aspects the Myrmidon has less than half the armor of the Puma IFV, a common vehicle). Even a heavy battlesuit can't carry most of the firepower that can be mounted on an APC. Finally, while battlesuits are cheaper, the maintainence ratio is closer to 3:1 than 9:1, thus requiring more technicians. However, there are also several advantages.
While one hit can take out an APC and all those inside, a squad of suited infantry requires multiple hits. Damaged or disabled battlesuits require much lighter (and thus cheaper) recovery vehicles. Training costs are comprable. Each member of a battlesuit squad can carry a heavy weapon in a shoulder pod, thus approximating the firepower of an APC. Battlesuit armor, while thin, is sufficient to protect from most small arms and conventional artillery (and, from ICM/SICM shells, there isn't much decrease from an APC's top armor).
Regardless of any possible merits, the Myrmidon experiment has been a failure. Only around 5000 have been sold over a five year period, 10% of that expected. At least two battalions of Mymidons have been fielded, with mixed results. Over half those sold were to users wanting something like the Spartan, but cheaper. There are persistent rumors that one nation plans to equip one full division with Mauler AFVs and Myrmidon battlesuits, completely eliminating all dedicated APCs.
Multiple weapon pods are available. They can be exchanged the field, taking about half an hour each. The 56mm HK rocket is most common; others are listed below. A theoretical nine-man Myrmidon squad would have four HK pods, two 25mm chainguns, two 75mm support guns and one 70mm ATGM launcher pod (squad leader).
Subassemblies: Body +0, limited rotation Turret -2, Pod +0, two
Arms -1, two Legs +0
P&P: 9 kW turbo ceramic w/5 kW improved legged drivetrain,
97 kW rechargable battery (12 hours), 3 gallons diesel (fire chance: 7)
in self-sealing tank, 11.1 hours fuel
Occ: 1 CCS (160-200 lb pilot; versions also exist for 136-170
lb and 112-140 lb pilots)
Cargo: none
| Armor | F | R/L | B | T | U |
| Body | 5/100 | 4/100 | 4/100 | 4/100 | 4/100 |
| Turret, Arms, Legs | 4/100 | 4/100 | 4/100 | 4/100 | 4/100 |
Weaponry
10mmC minigun [Right Arm] (1500 AP)
30mm grenade launcher [Left Arm] (120 HEDP)
6*56mm HK launchers [Pod:F] (1 APDU rocket each)
10-gauge autoshotgun [Body:F] (285 shot rounds)
Equipment
Turret: HUDWAC, radar (4.5 miles), thermograph (3 miles)
Body: basic comsuite, mini-comsuite, trauma maintenance, NBC
kit, 6 hours limited life support
Right Leg: 2x battlesuit dischargers (hot smoke)
Left Leg: 2x battlesuit dischargers (prism)
Right/Left Arms: ST 30 cheap arm motors
Statistics
| Size: 10'x3.3'x3.3' | Payload: 585 lbs | Lwt: 4270 lbs (2.14 tons) |
| Volume: 25.8 cf (Size Mod: +1) | Maint.: 52 hours | Price: $149,200 |
HT: 11
HP: 148 [body], 96 [each leg], 104 [each arm], 28 [turret]
| gSpeed: 12 | gAccel: 5 | gDecel: 20 | gMR: 3.25 | gSR: 2 | GP: low (4/5) |
Design Notes
Frame is extra heavy for 8.5 cf body, 0.75 cf turret, 4 cf pod, 1.76
cf arm (each) and 4.5 cf (each) leg. Structural and surface features include
sealed, basic IR cloaking, basic sound baffling, and basic chameleon. Body
has ST 229. Battlesuit dischargers have half the cost, mass and volume
of normal dischargers with one fifth the burst radius.
Other Weapon Pods
ATGM pod: one semi-automatic 70mm launcher with six rockets or missiles
in rotary magazine, +$3300 to suit cost
Autocannon: 25mm chaingun with 142 APDS and 142 SAPHE rounds, +$10800
to suit cost
Support Cannon: 75mm semiautomatic support gun with 17 HEDP shells,
+$6800 to suit cost
New Weapons
10-gauge autoshotgun: medium barrel, low-powered, smoothbore,
heavy automatic
(shotshell) Dam 7d, Acc 7, SS 12, 1/2Dam 41, Max 284, ROF 4, GWt 13.8
lbs, GCost $829, AWt 0.221 lbs, ACost: $0.885
10mmC minigun: six long barrels, electric gatling, caseless
Dam 9d, Malf Ver., Type Cr, SS 20, Acc 13, 1/2 Dam 900, Max 4500, ROF
60, 0.38 kW
Ammo is 0.063 lbs and $0.125 each.
30mm auto grenade launcher: short barrel, light automatic, low-powered,
smoothbore
(HEDP) Dam 6d(5), Acc 8, SS 20, 1/2Dam 350, Max 2500, ROF 4, GWt 32.5
lbs, GCost $1,950, AWt 0.51 lbs, ACost $4.56; Other Ammo: smoke - 3 yard
radius; starshell -- 60 yard radius, HE -- 5d [2d]
70mm ATGM: 8dx14(10) HEAT, Max 1850 yds, IIRH homing, skill 14, SS 25, Speed 1000 yds/sec, ROF 1/2; $3600 and 48 lbs for slow autoloading launcher, $5100 and 24 lbs per missile
70mm rocket: 6dx21(10) HEAT or 6dx43[6d] HE, Acc 15, SS 25, 1/2 Dam 1650, Max 1700, Speed 1000 yds/sec, ROF 1/2, $3600 and 47 lbs for slow autoloading launcher, $480 and 24 lbs per rocket.
25mm chaingun: one medium barrel, electric heavy automatic
Dam 11dx2, Malf Ver, Type Cr, SS 20, Acc 14, 1/2 Dam 1400 yds, Max
5900 yds, ROF 12, $11,500, 105lbs
APDS ammo: Dam 6dx6(2) Cr, +50% Ranges, $20 and 0.66 lbs per shell
SAPHE ammo: 11dx2(0.5) Cr + 3d[2d] Exp, $4 and 0.66 lb per shell
75mm support cannon: very short barrel, low powered, slow autoloader
5dx15(5) HEDP or 8dx10[6d] HE, Acc 11, SS 20, 1/2 Dam 440, Max 2950,
ROF 1/6, $7100, 95 lbs, shells 11.9 lbs, $48 HE and $72 HEAT
[note: this weapon can be changed to a recoilless rifle without any
changes to stats, if a 'retro' feel is desired.]