Introduced into the LCAF in 2730 to combat swift light scout mechs the Gambit featured a heavy hitting PPC and supporting LRMs. The philosophy the engineers used was few fast scout mechs carried long-range weaponry. Those few mechs that did carry long-range weapons that could engage the Gambit were too slow to catch to the V.T.O.L. before it could report the location to friendly forces. By 2740 advancing technologies in fusion engines, chassis structure, and weaponry made the relatively young Gambit obsolete. The rabid spread of the new breed of mechs forced LCAF commanders to either scrap the design or find a use for it. The commanders delayed the decision by instead reassigning the Gambits in service to the Periphery where advancing technologies did not yet penetrate the mainstream mechs available. However, despite the delay by 2750 the Gambit was being withdrawn from active service and began the trip to the scrap yards for recycling. Even the assembly line on Fatima began to disassemble and moth ball the old dies while archiving the blueprints and other documentation relating to the design.

The start of the Succession Wars began the road back to the front for the Gambit. With the destruction and subsequent loss of knowledge in manufacture of higher technologies the Gambit suddenly became once again viable. Finally in 3015 enough technology had been lost to the continual fighting among the houses that the Lyran Commonwealth began looking for anything to rearm and equip their forces. It took some time but LCAF archivists suddenly rediscovered the Gambit the original two proto-types which had been sitting in cold storage along with most of the tools needed for building the V.T.O.L. on Fatima. With little rework on the Gambits two remaining frames the proto-types where placed back in service and within in five years the small manufacturing plant on Fatima began producing new Gambits for use in the LCAF.

The marketing department of Aerospace Technologies Corp gave the new Gambits being produced the designation of GBT1a not because of radical change but because the Gambit would be produced completely on Fatima. The Hermes fusion power plant required by the V.T.O.L. would be built in a small refurbished fusion assembly plant, while local computer manufacturers would produce the electronics needed for the GBT1a. The five tons of standard plate armor required by the thirty ton Gambit comes from Fatima Mining and Excavating. While five tons may seem fine for a light combat vehicle the Gambit suffers the same problems as other V.T.O.L. designs in that little armor can protect the frail rotor assembly due to aerodynamic needs. Despite the weakness of the V.T.O.L rotor engineers stuck with the notion that the light agile scout mechs usually only mount short to medium range weaponry the Gambit would easily out range them.

Heading up the long range weaponry are two Pepper Box LRM five packs supported by two tons of ammunition. The Pepper Boxes are a home built LRM system based heavily off of the successful Delta Darts found on the GBT Star League model. Though heavily tested in various firing ranges, the lack of battlefield history for the Pepper Box makes some crews nervous. When some minor problems with the ammunition feed system came to light many crews wanted to dump the Pepper Boxes for the battlefield tested Deltas, but to no avail. The main gun of the Gambit is the ancient Donal Particle Projection Cannon currently produced under license by Fatima Armes Inc. The Donal PPC helps quiet the crews of the Gambit with its solid performance and ease of maintenance. The only rumble heard by the crews concerning the Donal PPC is the minimum range requirement of 90 meters. The minimum range requirement and lack of short-range weaponry leaves the Gambit completely open should close in fighting take place. The Lack of infighting weaponry also makes the Gambit a favorite target of SRM armed infantry that love to target such an easy target.

To paraphrase and ancient saying, "Marketing is as Marketing does" the only thing separating the GBT and the GT1a, as noted earlier, is when it was constructed. As both models share the same armor, speed, and weaponry no real factory variants exist. However, some pilots have already begun to tinker with the Gambit. One pilot with the Lyran Guard has removed his Pepper Box LRM five packs for dual holly SRM systems and one ton of ammo. Another crew in the Lyran Guard has removed their LRM five packs for multiple SRM 2 packs. The idea behind the SRM 2 pack variant was the ability to set fires, with the use of inferno rounds, in order to mark targets for artillery units in the area or other long-range hitting units.

Currently all output of the small Aerospace Technologies Corp assembly line is going directly into LCAF. With the small plant only producing 12 a month it will take some time before the Gambit will be ready for the open market.