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Mass: 100 Tonnes
Chassis: Woodwright Brother’s Steel Reinforced Oak
Power Plant: Thomas and Bigby 6 Cylinder Compound Broiler
Cruising Speed: 14 kph
Maximum Speed: 26 kph
Armor: British Foundries Military Grade Steel Plating
Armament:
1 Elswick Ordnance Co 25lbs Breech
2 John Brown & Co 10lbs Long Barrel
8 Manchester Ordnance & Rifle Co. 8lb Shorts
Manufacturer: Thomas and Bigby Metal Giantworks
Primary Factory: Manchester, Lancashire, British Empire
Communications System: 2 semaphore stations
Targeting and Tracking System: 2 crows nests and 1 captains deck
Overview
Once known as the ultimate assault Mechanized Battle Carriage, the Inconsolable Griefmaker had many looking forward to the upgrades it would receive as the technological renaissance and the American Invasion swept through the British Empire. As the East India Company debuted the GRF-1 variant to its forces, fans of the design were pleased with how well the machine had kept up with the times.
Capabilities
During the rush to upgrade existing Mechanized Battle Carriage, the Griefmaker was transformed from a short-ranged brawler to a long-range bombardier. The highly desired 25lbs Breech cannon replaced the super-heavy 30lbs cannon, sacrificing damage for a quicker reloading time, allowing more fire before moving into close range. Keeping the 2 10lbs Long Barrels, designers solved a recurring space problem by allowing more room to pull the cannons inside for reloading to ease the already cramped conditions. The biggest change was adding a second gundeck below the existing two to allow for more short barrled cannons. To make room for all these improvements, Thomas and Bigby’s 6 Cylinder Compound steam broiler was rushed through design and testing to be ready for mounting on the heavy chassis. Initial plans called for triple smoke stacks to provide space for additional weaponry, but engineers were unable to perfect the broiler in time for the deadline. This gave the Griefmaker a brutal heat curve when moving at full steam.
Deployment
Despite being an older design, or perhaps because of it, the Griefmaker’s reputation on the battlefield is unquestioned. Even state-of-the-art designs often give the design a wide berth and instead attempt to engage a less proven Mechanized Battle Carriage such as a Reliable Jameson Smith or Facilitator. This has always kept sales brisk, and there is still no projected date for this flagship of all Mechanized Battle Carriages to be replaced.
At the 2nd Ballle of Waterloo, in a firefight that occurred in early 1843, a lance of corporate-owned Griefmaker’s held off wave after wave of Nepoleon’s troops while defending a rural settlement for several days. Eventually the defenders succumbed to penetrating torso hits, depressurizing and crippling the bulky steam engines.
** this artwork and accompanying writing was found in a years old email archive between our tabletop group, and as much as I'd love to take credit, this is not of my creation but I felt the community may enjoy it! **
