Main Battle Steam Tank Mk. XIV

The most popular Occidental ground vehicle of the entire Great Steam War. It is unique in that is sports a surprising amount of weaponry for its medium-sized frame. Earlier variants mounted a fixed heavy cannon in the forward turret and despite the advantages of having such exceptional firepower, the gain was often lost due to the difficulty of aiming a weapon by turning the entire vehicle. The crews required intense training in learning to multitask, as there were only three crewmen to the four weapon mounts. The only weapon with a dedicated operator was the main gun, a medium cannon in the forward turret with a 90-degree field of fire. Later variants incorporated automatic stokers which were operated by external steam chambers and then by the boiler once full steam was reached. A manual backup crank could be used when needed. The engineer in charge of the auto-stoker and boiler could operate either of the two automatic rifle sponsons during the presence of infantry. The driver sat behind the footplate and could see by means of a small periscope. In combat, the driver could lock the controls and stand up into the light cannon turret; the only turret capable of 360-degree firing. The crewmen could talk to each other via speaking tubes and communication was critical in order for the vehicle to be used to its full potential.