NOTE: DO NOT POST YOUR CHARACTER IN THE CHARACTER SECTION UNTIL THEY ARE ACCEPTED. POST THEM IN OOC FIRST!
Nickname/Title/Rank Here
Age/Date of Birth║Faction/Loyalties║Race║Sex
Physical Appearance
(Describe your character's physical appearance and attire here. Make sure to denote important details such as height, build, eye color, hair color, hair style, how they hold themselves, any notable marks or scars or tattoos. Try to go into detail with the description and describe the character like you were trying to have someone draw or illustrate them.)
Personality Traits:
(Just list out individual personality traits. There's no point in writing a glorified thesis on how your character behaves if it just ends up ignored or forgotten when you actually start playing them. Most players tend to work out the specifics of their character's personalities as they play along so I'm simply going to streamline things by having you put traits down.)
Biography:
(Detail the events in your character's life and how they've ended up where they are now. Don't skimp out on this as a well written backstory is a critical ingredient for a character with proper depth. We don't need to know what breakfast they ate every morning, but having a general overview of the events in their life and details regarding the moments that defined them as a person is important. Feel free to get creative with the formatting as long as it gets across what we need to know.)
Skills and Abilities
(Detail the proficiencies your character has here as well as any abnormal abilities they might have as a result of their race, implants, etc. Make sure to also go over the weaknesses your character has and the gaps in their knowledge and skill selection.)
Personal Items and Equipment
(Any noteworthy items or things that the person might have. A sidearm, a knife, a portable computer, etc, etc, etc)
Chosen Mobile Weapon
(There is an entirely separate sheet just for mobile suit and ship design, so just list the name of the mobile suit/armor/worker your character uses. If you wish your character to use a custom mobile suit, then apply it along with the character. I will say up front that Gundams will be restricted and won't be available to characters from the get-go save for very special cases. Players are encouraged to work off the example mobile suits I made and make variants or customization on them. However if you don't want to deal with that then you can have your character use one of the base models and list that)
[center][img]-go to 1001fonts.com to make header[/img][/center]
[center][img]-place character reference here[/img][/center]
[center][h2][b]Nickname/Title/Rank Here[/b][/h2][/center]
[h2][center]Age/Date of Birth║Faction/Loyalties║Race║Sex [/center][/h2][h3][b]Physical Appearance [/b][/h3]
(Describe your character's physical appearance and attire here. Make sure to denote important details such as height, build, eye color, hair color, hair style, how they hold themselves, any notable marks or scars or tattoos. Try to go into detail with the description and describe the character like you were trying to have someone draw or illustrate them.)
[h3][b]Personality Traits: [/b][/h3]
(Just list out individual personality traits. There's no point in writing a glorified thesis on how your character behaves if it just ends up ignored or forgotten when you actually start playing them. Most players tend to work out the specifics of their character's personalities as they play along so I'm simply going to streamline things by having you put traits down.)
[h3][b]Biography:[/b][/h3]
(Detail the events in your character's life and how they've ended up where they are now. Don't skimp out on this as a well written backstory is a critical ingredient for a character with proper depth. We don't need to know what breakfast they ate every morning, but having a general overview of the events in their life and details regarding the moments that defined them as a person is important. Feel free to get creative with the formatting as long as it gets across what we need to know.)
[h3][b]Skills and Abilities[/b][/h3]
(Detail the proficiencies your character has here as well as any abnormal abilities they might have as a result of their race, implants, etc.)
[h3][b]Personal Items and Equipment[/b][/h3]
(Any noteworthy items or things that the person might have. A sidearm, a knife, a portable computer, etc, etc, etc)
[h3][b]Strengths and Weaknesses[/b][/h3]
(Summarize your characters good points, both as a person and a fighter, and go into details about their flaws and failings)
[h3][b]Chosen Mobile Weapon[/b][/h3]
(There is an entirely separate sheet just for mobile suit and ship design, so just list the name of the mobile suit/armor/worker your character uses. If you wish your character to use a custom mobile suit, then apply it along with the character. I will say up front that Gundams will be restricted and won't be available to characters from the get-go save for very special cases. Players are encouraged to work off the example mobile suits I made and make variants or customization on them. However if you don't want to deal with that then you can have your character use one of the base models and list that)Mobile Suit, Mobile Worker, Mobile Armor Applications
Mobile Weapon Application Sheet
-Place mobile suit picture reference here if one is available^-
State the Generation and specification, 1st Generation Prototype, etc
Production Type|| Operator/Individual Pilot
Unit Appearance
(Describe the appearance of the unit in as much detail as possible. Detail its paint job, the specifics of its limbs and body, any deviations from the traditional humanoid appearance, and any noteworthy aesthetics. Go into detail and try to pain a picture in our minds)
Technical Details
Accommodation: (What kind of cockpit does the unit have, where is it located, and how many pilots or passengers can it hold? Mobile suit cockpits are typically located in the upper torso and can only hold one occupant properly. However this isn’t a requirement, merely the norm and exceptions like tandem cockpits can exist.)
Dimensions: (The proportion of your unit in meters. Only height is required for mobile suits Mobile Armors will need to have height, length, and width since they rarely adhere to humanoid proportions.)
Powerplant: (Mobile suits and mobile armors rely on Wilberforce Reactors for power, state and specify the strength of the reactor)
Equipment and Design Features:
(Go into detail and individually list out and describe the various systems and equipment used by your unit. Things like armor type, sensors, thrusters, built-in tools, and other non-weapon systems should be mentioned and explained here.)
•Enter Thing Here
-Description Here-
•Enter Thing Here
-Description Here-
•Enter Thing Here
-Description Here-
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
(The hand carried armaments available to your unit. List them out and describe them in as much detail as possible)
•Weapon Here
•Weapon Here
•Weapon Here
Fixed Armaments
(Fixed weapons differ from handheld armaments in that they are directly fixed to, built into , or always carried. Mobile armor almost solely used fixed armaments while many mobile suits melee weapons are considered fixed weapons)
•Enter thing here
•Enter thing here
•Enter thing here
Strengths and Weaknesses
(Here is where you’ll describe the strengths and weaknesses of your unit for the sake of ensuring the focus and intent of your machine is understood. Now I know people like to make balanced units, jack of all trade machines with strengths in everything and with as few weaknesses as possible, but I’d like to encourage players to make flawed and diverse machines. Don’t be afraid to make your unit perform poorly in certain areas or struggle with certain things, they will give your suit character and make their strengths more believable.)
Technical History
(This is basically the backstory of your unit where you describe how it came to be, how it was used, what it’s done, how it performed, and where it is now. The technical history of a mass production unit should go over the development of the unit and why it came to be. Customized or personal units should focus more on the reasoning for the modifications or creation by the pilot as well as their history together.)
[Center][img]-Make title header at 1001fonts.com-[/img][/Center]
[Center][img]-Place mobile suit picture reference here if you have one-[/img][/Center]
[center][h1]State the Generation and specification, 1st Generation Prototype, etc[/h1][/center]
[center][h2]Production Type|| Operator/Individual Pilot[/h2][/center]
[color=B22222][h2][u][b]Unit Appearance[/b][/u][/h2][/color]
(Describe the appearance of the unit in as much detail as possible. Detail its paint job, the specifics of its limbs and body, any deviations from the traditional humanoid appearance, and any noteworthy aesthetics. Go into detail and try to pain a picture in our minds)
[color=B22222][h2][u][b]Technical Details[/b][/u][/h2][/color]
[b]Accommodation:[/b] (What kind of cockpit does the unit have, where is it located, and how many pilots or passengers can it hold? Mobile suit cockpits are typically located in the upper torso and can only hold one occupant properly. However this isn’t a requirement, merely the norm and exceptions like tandem cockpits can exist.)
[b]Dimensions:[/b] (The proportion of your unit in meters. Only height is required for mobile suits Mobile Armors will need to have height, length, and width since they rarely adhere to humanoid proportions.)
[b]Powerplant:[/b] (Mobile suits and mobile armors rely on Wilberforce Reactors for power, state and specify the strength of the reactor)
[b]Equipment and Design Features: [/b]
(Go into detail and individually list out and describe the various systems and equipment used by your unit. Things like armor type, sensors, thrusters, built-in tools, and other non-weapon systems should be mentioned and explained here.)
[color=F0E68C][u][b]•Enter Thing Here[/b][/u][/color]
-Description Here-
[color=F0E68C][u][b]•Enter Thing Here[/b][/u][/color]
-Description Here-
[color=F0E68C][u][b]•Enter Thing Here[/b][/u][/color]
-Description Here-
[color=B22222][h2][u][b]Weapons and Combat Capabilities[/b][/u][/h2][/color]
[h3][b][u]Handheld Armaments[/u][/b][/h3]
(The hand carried armaments available to your unit. List them out and describe them in as much detail as possible)
[color=F0E68C][u][b]•Weapon Here[/b][/u][/color]
[color=F0E68C][u][b]•Weapon Here[/b][/u][/color]
[color=F0E68C][u][b]•Weapon Here[/b][/u][/color]
[h3][b][u]Fixed Armaments[/u][/b][/h3]
(Fixed weapons differ from handheld armaments in that they are directly fixed to, built into , or always carried. Mobile armor almost solely used fixed armaments while many mobile suits melee weapons are considered fixed weapons)
[color=F0E68C][u][b]•Enter thing here[/b][/u][/color]
[color=F0E68C][u][b]•Enter thing here[/b][/u][/color]
[color=F0E68C][u][b]•Enter thing here[/b][/u][/color]
[h3][b][u]Strengths and Weaknesses[/u][/b][/h3]
(Here is where you’ll describe the strengths and weaknesses of your unit for the sake of ensuring the focus and intent of your machine is understood. Now I know people like to make balanced units, jack of all trade machines with strengths in everything and with as few weaknesses as possible, but I’d like to encourage players to make flawed and diverse machines. Don’t be afraid to make your unit perform poorly in certain areas or struggle with certain things, they will give your suit character and make their strengths more believable.)
[color=B22222][h2][u][b]Technical History[/b][/u][/h2][/color]
(This is basically the backstory of your unit where you describe how it came to be, how it was used, what it’s done, how it performed, and where it is now. The technical history of a mass production unit should go over the development of the unit and why it came to be. Customized or personal units should focus more on the reasoning for the modifications or creation by the pilot as well as their history together.)Civilian Mobile Workers
2nd Generation General Purpose Mobile Worker
Mass Production||Civilians
Unit Appearance
The Scutson is a short, stout mobile cyclopedia mobile worker almost always painted a bright construction-worker orange. It has strong looking arms, firm visibly plated manipulators, and heavy legs ending in chunky feet that look ideal for stomping. The exterior of the Scutson is often marked with maintenance hatches, rigs for connecting ropes or cables, and almost always has some smattering of dirt, dust, or assorted grim.
Technical Details
Accommodation: Pilot only, ejectable curved-screen cockpit located in back.
Dimensions: 15 Meters
Powerplant: Low-power Wilberforce Reactor
Equipment and Design Features:
•Plasteel Chassis
While the Scutson is not armored in the military sense it does come with a sturdy plasteel hull to protect it from the elements while working. In space, on asteroids, and even on the surface of Venus. Having the beneficial traits of plastic and a greater strength than steel, the plasteel chassis protects the Scutson from heavy impacts, extreme heat, and acid. It can even take a few bullets, though it's not recommended workers not test this.
•Monoeye Sensor
Since the Scutson has a fixed, frontal head unable to move it relies on a mono-eye sensor able to sweep back and forth along a rail. This sensor offers good magnification and a protective see-through screen protects it from the elements.
•Cockpit Ejection System
The cockpit of the Scutson differs from other mobile workers and mobile suits as it is entered directly from the back. Thanks to his and the modular design of the cockpit itself, it can be easily ejected out the back of the unit with the use of a small thruster system. This allows workers and pilots to eject from the mobile suit should it be in danger of being destroyed or exploding. However most employers frown on the use of this system on Luna and Venus, feeling the Scutson is far more then the life of a single worker.
•Hardpoints x8
Located across the Scutson’s body are universal connection points or “Hardpoints”. These hardpoints can be used to mount equipment to the Scutson’s body or carry tools. Two hardpoints are located on the sides of the shoulders, two are located on the back, two on the upper legs, and two on the lower legs.
•Single Engine Thruster
The Scutson uses a large, single engine thruster mounted to its back and a few vernier installed around its body. Its output is fairly average and nothing wondrous, but it allows the Scutson to move at a reasonable pace in space and make thruster assisted jumps under gravity.
•Hazardous Work Rig [Optional]
For work in particularly hazardous environments Scutsons can be fitted with thrusters on their long and upper legs. These along with a pair of grappling launchers can be used to allow for safer navigation of asteroid fields or the treacherous surface of Venus. In zero gravity the thrusters give a boost to mobility while under gravity it allows the Scutson to hover over the ground, using its built-in thruster for forward thrust. The grappling hooks meanwhile allow them to more easily scale large objects or 'swing' around asteroids to change direction more easily.
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
•Various Tools The Scutson can wield various mobile suit sized tools from giant shovels, pickaxes, sledgehammers, and other useful tools that could easy be used to bludgeon things with.
•Mining Drill
A heavy club-like grinding drill fitted with a long hand and dozens of spinning, rotating parts capable of grinding even the hardest of rocks to a fine dust. It is most often used on the surface of Venus or mining asteroids where they are effective, if somewhat terrifying tools. As an improvised weapon its unwieldy and slow, but the weight and force of the Scutson’s powerful limbs alone is enough to brutalized most targets to say nothing of the drill element.
•Bolt Gun
Essentially a giant nail gun designed to drive metal stakes through hard rock or solid metal, used primarily in temporary habitat repair work or mining. While not normally able to fire unless pressed up against a solid surface, it's not difficult to rig the tool and weaponize it. Inaccurate at a distance the bolt gun has good penetration and can shoot out sensors or damage lightly armored areas on a suit. •Illegal Weaponry
After Mobile Workers were used by pirates for combat purposes security measures were put in place on the next generation to ensure they couldn't be as easily used the same way. However Sharp and the Raj Factory lifted so heavily from the Redcoat that one can simply yank out or disable the security measures and the mobile suit will function with virtually no adverse effects.
Of course actually obtaining said weaponry is another hurtle entirely. Its one thing to buy a lathe made revolver under the table at a bar, but another to buy a 120mm machine gun. As such proper military grade firearms are hard to come by in the hands of subversively used Scutsons. Rebels and criminals alike are thus forced to use whatever they can get their hands on or make themselves.
Crude Submachineguns, MAG weapons with exposed wiring, etc etc.
Fixed Armaments
•Demolition Charges x5 [Optional]
A Scutson can carry up to five demolition charges on it for mining and demolition purposes. These charges take the form of circular round disks with a mechanism on the back that lets them be fitted to various surfaces. Sets of demolition charges comes with a spool of cable that can be connected to the demolition charges, allowing them to be detonated safely at a distance when remote detonation isn't possible due to interference.
While safety measures are in place to try and bar them from being used in ways they weren't intended, workers naturally found workarounds.
Weaponized demolition charges can be used like crude hand thrown bombs or modified with proximity sensors or trip wires to turn them into mines.
Strengths and Weaknesses
At first glance the Scutson is a stout, lumbering, clumsy machine good only for crushing rocks and maintenance work outside of colonies. However to the workers that use them know the truth.
The Scutson has significant strength in its limbs due to being designed for heavy lifting and labor work. It can wield heavy melee weapons with ease and even its bare punches can be devastating when they connect. With the right equipment the Scutson can become rather mobile on the ground and only minor adjustments are needed to all them to use procured military weapons.
However while it has the potential to be used for combat it wasn’t designed as such. It lacks the armor needed to protect it properly and lacks many useful functions from proper military mobile suits.
Technical History
The mobile suits of the Zern Empire were developed from Mobile Workers, manned humanoid machines designed for work under gravity or in space.
After the Zern Empire made a successful military mobile suit, many saw the potential to improve on existing Mobile Worker designs using what had been learned. Since Mobile Workers hadn’t improved all that much since their inception there was a lot of money to be made. A competition was held and various companies competed against one another with the best design being given a lucrative contract with the royal family itself.
Ultimately it came down to the Raj Factory’s “Colonial Operated Object Loader Type-e” and the Sharp Workshop’s “Scutson”.
The COOL-te was ultimately cheaper and easier to make, but the Scutson showed the promise for greater work efficiency and adaptability. In the end the Zern Empire declared Sharp Workshop’s as the winner and gave them contracts to produce the Scutson for them. This allowed the previously small company to expand tremendously and was mass producing Scutsons in increasingly large numbers.
The COOL-Te eventually saw production as well, going to people who couldn’t afford Scutsons or needed a smaller mobile worker to stow in their ships.
Within a few short years the Scutson became synonymous with “Mobile Worker” and was loved by both the Empire and its workers. The Empire loved it because it was so effective for such a reasonable cost while the workers liked it because they were reliable, pleasing to use, and wasn’t a bargain bin death trap like the COOL-Te when it came to working in hazardous environments.
However as time went on and subversive elements within the empire grew, a flaw was discovered with the Scutson. It borrowed so heavily from some aspects of the new military MS designs that it itself could be modified to use much of the same equipment with virtually now effort, making it into a combat capable mobile weapon.
By the time this was discovered however Scutson’s were already being used in great numbers and the Sharp Factory had gained quite a bit of influenced itself. So open recognition of this was prevented to save the Empire face and preserve the name of the company.
Slowly modified Scutsons have begun to show up more and more in armed protests, attacks, and attempts at rebellion against the Empire...
2nd Generation Budget Mobile Worker
Mass Production|| Civilians
Unit Appearance
The base model COOL-te is a dark blue painted, skeletal mobile suit with thin limbs, large round hip and shoulder joints, with a lithe angular paneled torso. It’s head is tall and boxy with a single thin compound sensor in a ‘slit’ up the front of its face. A small single engine thruster is mounted lower on its back with space to add a storage box for tools or hauling of some kind.
Technical Details
Accommodation: Pilot only, standard 3-screen cockpit in torso
Dimensions: 16 Meters
Powerplant: Low-output Wilberforce Reactor “overclocked” to Medium-output
Equipment and Design Features:
•Minimalistic Liten Chassis:
The COOL-Te has protective armor in only the faintest sense of the word. Paper thin Liten paneling shields its exterior body from the elements. While it provides some minute protection in that its internals and limb mechanisms aren’t exposed, it might as well be nonexistent for the sake of combat.
•Overly Simple Design
Much like the Redcoat, the COOL-Te has a very simple design that makes it easy to repair, produce, and pilot. However the COOL-Te’s simplicity goes so far that its detrimental and that the Mobile Worker is lacking many useful features and performance wise. Of course even this simplicity has its appeal to those who wish to modify the mobile worker...
•Single Engine Thruster
The single engine thruster and vernier setup used by the COOL-Te is almost identical to that of the Redcoat’s, only with some mechanisms pulled out or simplified to avoid legal issues. As a result of its light weight and moderately powerful thrusters is considerably fast in space. Of course its engine overheats due to these modifications and risks exploding if pushed too far.
•“Overclocked” Reactor
The reactor installed on the COOL-Te is a low end, low output Wilberforce reactor. Modifications made to the reactor by Raj Factory however boost the power output of the reactor significantly. This allows the COOL-Te to use more demanding tools and gear. However the modification also makes the reactor rather unsafe as any damage to it could destabilize the already strained regulation systems, leading to it exploding.
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
•D-IJ Plasma Cutter
A powerful cutting tool using the Raj Factory’s own plasma technology, converting energy directly into super-heated plasma. By releasing this plasma in a small, controlled stream it can be used to weld or outright cut through materials. Originally the Raj Factory intended this to be a tool meant solely for the COOL-Te, hoping to attract more buyers. However the system they put in place to prevent other mobile workers from using the Plasma Cutter inadvertently turned it into a makeshift weapon.
The preventive system blocks plasma from being emitted, but a minor adjustment causes plasma to begin to build up. After its built up to a certain amount a safety feature will be activated and expel the plasma all at once to prevent the cutter from exploding. This effectively releases a crude shotgun-like spray of plasma capable of melting through even heavy armor.
It essentially has no range and nothing resembling accuracy, but the destructive potential is still there. The Plasma Cutter can only be used like this several times before the excess heat melts the emitter.
•Sealant Sprayer
In space and in the upper atmosphere of Venus, hull and habitat breaches are extremely dangerous. Fixing these breaches is of the utmost priority and many systems and tools have been designed to act as a quick fix while proper repair efforts begin. One of those tools is a sealant sprayer, a U-shaped one handed ‘gun’ fitted with a cylindrical tank along the bottom. By shooting out a spray that rapidly expands into a hard, concrete like foam air-tight seals can be made quickly over punctures and large holes.
However, the sprayer is also multi-purpose and its tanks can be loaded with various chemicals for a variety of purposes such as decontamination, firefighting, etc. This function allows the Sprayer to be turned into a makeshift weapon as the right load of chemicals and modifications and turn it into a flamethrower capable of dousing things in incendiaries hot enough to melt steel.
•Illegal Weaponry
Much like the Scutson the COOL-Te can be modified to use proper military grade firearms or illegally shopped alternatives. Its greater reactor output actually gives it more options in terms of the weapons and equipment it can utilize, though the quality of which often presents more danger then benefit.
Fixed Armaments
•Arm Mounted Tool Ring
To sweeten the deal and attract more buyers, the Raj Factory began to include a tool attachment with the COOL-Te. Taking the form of a round cylindrical ‘gauntlet’ slipped over the COOL-Te’s arm the attachment holds 6 tools for more precise repair work on ships or on mobile suits:
- •A narrow drill
- •An impact driver
- •A precision sensor
- •A hydraulic cutter
- •A nanocarbon blade metal saw
- •And a red-spectrum VSL for precise welding and cutting.
Despite being primarily a tool set and a useful one at that, the tools on the ring can be used as make-shift weapons. In particular the precision sensor, originally intended to help locate mechanical damage and failures, and can be used in tandem with the VSL to allow the COOL-Te to fire at targets from great distances.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The COOL-Te is basically a walking skeleton with no real protection to speak of. It has speed but is unstable and unreliable in the face of heavy strain or damage. Yet the COOL-Te is an excellent base to work off of when one seeks to modify it into something else to crease something new. While not safe its reactor does provide adequate power for systems and gear alike.
Technical History
The Raj Factory has an illustrious history of designing ships and equipment for use all around the Zern Empire and specifically by the Zern Military itself. There was a time where the Raj Factory was regarded with prestriege and bitter jealousy by smaller companies. They made their money primarily off of lucrative contracts from the government and catered to them almost religiously.
However as time pressed on the company grew immensely complace and the lack of competition made them arrogant in their own abilities.
When the Redcoat was put into mass production the Raj Factory eagerly awaited a new wave of incoming ship contracts, as the Imperial Fleet would need to accommodate the new weapon system.
Yet when word reached them of a competition to find the best new and improved mobile worker design, the heads of the Raj Factory began to salivate at the thought of the profits they could rake in.
Assembling a design they entered the competition, taking one look at the other applicants and scoffed.
The Raj Factory entered their mobile worker, the “Colonial Operated Object Loader Type-e” or COOL-Te for short.
The COOL-Te was designed with minimized bulk and reduced cost in mind. Its limbs were made thin, the head and torso were rendered in simple shapes, and the bare minimum was put into its thrusters and internals. Yet the Raj Factory were clever and figured out a way to triple the output of a low-end Wilberforce reactor. This allowed the COOL-Te to use otherwise power heavy tools and add-on systems.
Those working at Raj felt they had made a masterpiece of simplicity using the bare minimum of materials and parts. In their minds there was no way they could lose to their second rate competitors.
And then they did.
The COOL-Te made it to the finals before losing out to the Scutson, a Mobile Worker designed by a small previously unheard of company called the Sharp Workshop.
During the final length of the competition the inherent fragility of the COOL-Te became abundantly apparent when placed up against the hefty, beefier Scutson. Worse yet the judges became concerned and raised quality and safety issues with the COOL-Te, especially after learning its reactor had been crudely ‘overclocked’ to give more power.
As a result the Raj Factory lost the mobile worker contract to Sharp. They then ended up losing even more contracts to them as Sharp expanded into areas the Raj Factory had otherwise firm dominance in.
In spite of its failure in the competition and questionable aspects, the COOL-Te found a market. Its sheer cheapness and slender design made it appealing to private buyers, shipping companies, and those who needed a mobile worker but needed as much cargo space as they could spare.
Yet even then the COOL-Te was already regarded as second banana to the Scutson and its reputation slowly began to carry onto Raj.
Worse yet was that the COOL-Te also began to see usage by pirates, who either stole, seized, or outright purchased them second hand. Though fragile and extremely lacking, the COOL-Te was very expendable and could be modified extensively into whatever devious role was needed.
Zern Empire Mobile Suits
Mobile Weapon Application Sheet
1st Generation General Purpose Mobile Suit
Mass Production|| Zern Empire
Unit Appearance
The Redcoat is a mobile suit painted in red, white, and black with a blocky body and shoulder armor cut to resemble epaulets. It has a narrow, blue compound bar sensor that stretches vertically across the face of its angular head which supports a design reminiscent of a soldier wearing an 1830s British private hat. The limbs of the Redcoat are somewhat narrow and overly rounded, seeming less articulated then later models. A backpack like thruster system with a single engine is fixed to the unit’s back.
Technical Details
Accommodation: Pilot Only, standard three-screen cockpit in torso
Dimensions: 18 Meters High
Powerplant: Low-output Wilberforce Reactor
Equipment and Design Features:
•Simple Construction
In spite of the advanced hardware and software that goes into the core of a mobile suits functions, the overall construction of the Redcoat is very simple. This makes repairs cheap, quick, and easy to perform even for individuals not explicitly knowledgeable in the maintenance of mobile suits. Its controls follow the same philosophy and are straight forward and simplified, making it easy to use for novices and those with little experience piloting.
•Selective Liten Armor
Covering the frame of the Redcoat are selectively placed armor plates of L-Type Titanium or "Liten". The armor isn't extensive, but its well placed to protect the Redcoat from melee attacks. This sparing application of armor leaves the mobile suit light and evasive, more so then even its successor the Tommy. However against modern MS weapons the armor of the Redcoat is rather lacking.
•Single Engine Backpack and Verniers
Fitted to the back of the Redcoat is a single-engine thruster. This thruster gives the mobile suit forward thrust in space, with a few verniers allowing it to make adjustments for mobility and maneuvering. Even with the passage of time the thruster of the Redcoat is still considered decent, giving the Redcoat somewhat greater speed over its successor thought mainly due to the lighter weight of its armor.
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
•120mm LEWIN-11 Machine Gun
Pan fed with a 100 round magazine, this 120mm machine gun acts as the standard armament for the Redcoat. With a high ammunition capacity, controllable rate of fire, and good damage it became a favorite for many early pilots. Though the weapon excelled against pirate ships and under armored mobile workers in close ranges, the LEWIN suffers from inaccuracy over long distances and suffers from a lack of penetration against more heavily armored targets.
•200mm “Whiskey” Rifle w/Piledriver
The second weapon of the Redcoat, often carried in place of the LEWIN machinegun. The Whiskey Rifle is a long barreled, musket-esque bolt action magnetic rifle fed from a top feeding 5-round magazine. It fires 200mm rounds more appropriate for a cannon, with high recoil but equally high penetration and accuracy. Unwieldy and rather large, the Whiskey Rifle is primarily an anti-ship weapon designed to be used at long range.
Due to its slow reloading time it is ill-suited for close quarters combat and a Piledriver “bayonet” has been fixed to the underside of the rifle to compensate. Running half the length of the barrel an electromagnetic charge builds up before driving the piler driver forward punching through ship hulls or skewering enemy mobile suits/workers, before retracting backwards to be fired again.
The rifle itself can be used by any mobile suit (or modified mobile worker) with a functional reactor. However the recharge time is rather slow so as not to be overly demanding in power, allowing it to be widely used. The rifle can however overcharge its shots and allow shooters to ‘cook’ their shots before firing. Though getting on in years many sharpshooters in the Zern Empire prefer the Whiskey Rifle to more modern sniping weapons.
Fixed Armaments
•Collapsing Pike
All Redcoats are equipped with a collapsing pike fitted with a nanocarbon blade and a telescopic shaft made of plasteel. In its extended form its long reach made it deal for charges, thrusts, and bullrushing enemies while in formation with other allied Redcoats. In its collapsed form it could be used like a hatchet or a tomahawk to slash and hack, being was more suited for fights in tighter interiors. Typically they are stored on the rear of the mobile suit, collapsed into a shortened rod-like state.
•WIG Tri-Missile Pod x2[Optional]
The WIG is a self-contained wire guided missile launcher pod containing three missiles each. Two can be fitted to the flat tops of the Redcoat's shoulders to give the unit additional firepower while keeping its arms free.
WIG missiles use a manual guidance system where the pilot can direct and correct their course while in flight, staying connected to the mobile suit via wires that uncoil from their launchers while in flight. Though the distance of the wire is limited and directing the missiles flight while maneuvering requires multi-tasking skills, the missiles are very damaging and can be used to target the weak points of vessels.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The Redcoat is a simple, easy to use, easy to repair and operate mobile suit that is a step above mobile workers in performance and capabilities. Since falling out of mainline service they can be found in reserve roles or even on the black market, making them and parts for them common even well after their hayday. It is faster and more agile then the Tommy, being well suited for close quarters combat and melee skirmishes.
However the passage of time has not been kind to the Redcoat and it is rapidly falling into obsolescence with the development of better weapons and more advanced mobile suits. Though many veterans swear by the suit, the Tommy has been widely recognized as a superior and more well rounded unit.
Technical History
Before the advent of Mobile Suits there were Mobile Workers.Mobile Workers were humanoid, robotic frames designed to be piloted and used in exoatmospheric construction. Their shape offered them many advantages and made them ideal for working in and moving three dimensionally in space. Umhlaba was believed to have developed them to hurry preparations to save humanity, though some argued they were in use long before that point on Earth.
Following the dawn of the Zern Empire, mobile workers continued to see use as the settlements on Luna and Venus expanded.
Initially only the available designs were copied and manufactured, but as time went on improvements were made as innovations came about. It wasn’t long before the original designs were forgotten, usurped by mobile workers made by the Empire with various models competing against one another.
During the Rebirth of Piracy however, mobile workers began to play a role beyond mere construction.
Piracy had begun to be a problem in the Empire. Though the Zern military maintained a large, well armed space fleet the pirates had their own ships kitted out specifically for smash and grab operations. They continually outmaneuvered and denied direct confrontation with the fleet, getting away with their ill gotten goods.
Their hubris only grew and eventually pirates began to isolate and pick off ships from the Zern Fleet. They attacked with modified mobile workers, carrying large blades and clubs with additional thrusters and armor plating slapped onto the frames. Despite the crude nature of the weapons the mobile workers proved to be deadly, almost guaranteeing a kill of a ship if they got close enough.
The rapid destruction of a number of ships sent the upper military command staff of the Zern Fleet into an outright panic. They looked for a solution to the problem, proposing additional point defenses or developing fighter craft. However conventional solutions to the mobile worker problem proved to be too flawed to be implemented in practice. Eventually someone suggested they take inspiration from the pirates and develop a proper weapon system from the mobile worker.
Initially hesitant, the generals and command staff eventually agreed upon the idea.
They saved face by announcing the development of a “Mobile Weapon” program as opposed to a mobile worker. The best researchers and engineers from the Zern military, Imperial Ordinance Company, and Aboard put their heads. In just a few short months they made a mad dash to refine the concept of a military humanoid weapon and deploy it in combat.
The result was the Martian Imperial Mobile Suit (MIMS) 01 “Redcoat”, the first mobile suit.
Armored with compressed Liten plates, fitted with precise thrusters on a ‘backpack’, and utilizing specifically designed large-scale firearms and melee weapons, the Redcoat was a refined and fearsome beast compared to its mobile worker foes. Its biggest triumph was not how advanced or complex it was, but how simple it was and how easy it was to mass produce.
Production was started immediately after a secret trial demonstration, with the first few units being placed aboard the Halmet-class ship The Venue. A ceremony was held on the ship with the entire royal family and many important nobles, leading to the sudden addition of the mobile suits for extra protection.
During the ceremony a famous pirate outlaw attacked the ship. They had paid massive bridges to have the ship’s defenses sabotage so they could board the vessel and take the royal family hostage until their reinforcements could arrive. All of the ship’s weapons and defenses ended up sabotages, except for the mobile suits which had arrived at the very least minute.
The Pirate’s plan failed when the Redcoat’s deployed from the Venue’s hanger and attacked. Just a handful of mobile suits managed to deal tremendous damage to the pirate fleet, repelling them and saving the lives of the entire Royal Family.
Afterwards the Redcoat became a symbol of the Zern Empire and all hesitation about the feasibility of mobile suits melted away.
The Redcoat continued to serve the mobile suit for five years before being declared obsolete. It was eventually replaced with remaining Redcoats ending up in reserve or support roles, with some winding up in the hands of pirates as “Turncoats”.
2nd Generation General Purpose Mobile Suit
Mass Production || Zern Empire
Unit Appearance
The Tommy is a noticeably sturdier, more developed mobile suit with a more visibly armored torso, arms, and legs. Even its head as a more developed and resilient look, taking the pith-helmet shape with similar vertical compound sensor to the Redcoat. Its shoulders no longer have a flat, dress uniform appearance and are instead well rounded armored pauldrons.
Technical Details
Accommodation: Pilot only, linear cockpit in torso
Dimensions: 18 Meters tall
Powerplant: Medium-output Wilberforce Reactor
Equipment and Design Features:
•Somewhat Simple Construction
Though lacking the raw simplicity of the Redcoat, the Tommy is still a design that is easy to reproduce and repair, even if not to the extent of the Redcoat. Its controls are also more refined, operating off the assumption pilots received training on Redcoats beforehand. This has benefits to its performance and eliminates the crude stiffness the Redcoat suffered in many cases.
•Hardened Liten Armor
The Tommy has much more armor than its predecessor, abandoning the notion of selective armor placement in favor of full armor coverage. Hardened L-Type Titanium plating covers the entirety of the mobile suit’s body, save for select areas around the joints, sensors, and backpack. It strikes the right balance between weight and width to provide moderator protection from powder weapons without ruining the unit’s mobility or speed.
•Twin Engine Backpack
The single-engine backpack of the Redcoat has been replaced by a larger twin-engine thruster, with greater output. This along with the addition of more verniers for increased precision control while in space makes the Tommy faster then the Redcoat...at least on paper. The addition of more armor however has reduced the Tommy’s ground and space speed to partially below that of the Redcoat.
•Albatross Gear [Optional]
A recent addition to the Tommy's arsenal, originally proposed as a dedicated long ranged shooting stabilizer module but rejected for being too niche. When it was revised it had become a mobility boosting, flight enabling equipment set for use by the Tommy and other Zern Empire Mobile suits.
Albatross Gear is comprised of a skeletal frame mounted to the outside of a mobile suit. On this frame large thrusters are mounted, including two fitted to and stretching the length of the mobile suit’s leg, and a primary fitted to the back and stretching backwards. Large pauldrons are fixed overtop the shoulders of the unit which mount narrow backwards facing propellant tanks. The most notable additional are the four folding ‘wings’ mounted to the suit.
These wings mount narrow precision thrusters and mechanisms that allow the unit to more easily fly under gravity or make precise adjustments to their movement in zero gravity.
With Albatross Gear the Tommy can maneuver asteroid fields and fly in the upper atmosphere of Venus, using the frame to mount missiles and heavier weapons more easily. Though giving a tremendous boost in mobility and speed, the Albatross Gear is somewhat fragile. It lacks armor so as not to interfere with its purpose and is vulnerable to gunfire, the propellant tanks needed to keep the fuel hunger thrusters functional are particularly appealing targets.
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
•120mm Machine Gun and 200mm Whiskey Rifle
Holdovers from the ZIMS-01, sometimes pulled out of storage and requisitioned to Tommy's based on pilot preference or circumstances.
•Heckler 90mm Bullpup Rifle/w Bayonet
The replacement for the Redcoat’s old 120mm and the primary armament of the ZIMS-02 Tommy. Though featuring a smaller, more conventional 50 round magazine and using smaller 90mm rounds, the Heckler Rifle has better penetration and greater accuracy over distances than its predecessor. All come with a built-in nanocarbon bayonet, graciously provided by Sharp Workshops, able to fold outwards when needed and fold up when not in use.
•PINT-1 300mm Recoilless Launcher
A compromise between a full sized cannon and a rocket launcher, the PINT-1 is a recoilless weapon system capable of firing solid or explosive munitions. The backblast of its round is directed backwards to minimize if not outright eliminate recoil when firing. This makes it very useless in space or low-gravity combat, and allows it to be fired while moving. It has a limited rate of fire and a large, bottom fed magazine with 4 rounds.
•“Screwdriver” 110mm Marksmen MAG Rifle
Though the Whiskey Rifle was the first MAG weapon to be deployed in the hands of a mobile suit it was large, heavy, and unrefined. Once the development of the Redcoat’s successor was slated so was the replacement for the Whiskey Rifle. Pinpoint precision and miniaturization was emphasised over raw-penetration and power.
The result was the Screwdriver, a magazine fed lever-action rifle. Reduced to the size of a normal MS rifle, the Screwdriver was fitted with a powerful inbuilt sensor scope and stabilizing mechanisms. Though the charge time between shots was drastically reduced, the compromise came with the power behind each shot. While its effectiveness against ships was limited it proved to be more than enough to punch through the soft spots of enemy mobile suits, leading it to quickly fall into an anti-MS sniper role. It has a ten round magazine.
Fixed Armaments
•30mm Vulcan x2:
Built into the head of the ZIMS-02 Tommy are a pair of multi-barreled vulcan guns, capable of firing 30mm rounds in deafening sprays. Though not effective against mobile suit armor they can be used to shoot down incoming projectiles or for shredding smaller more lightly armored targets.
•Liten Truncheon
Kept inside a forearm compartment all Tommy’s carry a reinforced telescopic truncheon as a melee weapon. Made from Liten with a weighted tip the Truncheon is a compact but a potent bludgeoning weapon capable of crushing the weapons or limbs of other mobile suits. To enhance the effectiveness of the truncheon an electrical discharge system was added, allowing the truncheon to emit debilitating shocks on impact. These shocks can short out systems on enemy mobile suits and can potentially injure enemy pilots.
•Mills Bomb x3
As Tommy’s are capable of carrying three mobile suit sized hand grenades with them for use in combat, stored in a small rack on either thigh. These grenades can be anything from fragmentation, to H.E, to smoke or incendiary. Though at first the lack of a propulsion system and the need to manually throw the grenades seems ridiculous, each grenade is fitted with a quickly adjustable timer and detonator. Allowing pilots to use the grenades as timebombs or determine whether they explode on impact or not.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The Tommy is more refined and advanced than its predecessor, featuring better armor, a stronger reactor, all while still being relatively easy and quick to repair. It is capable of taking on a wide variety of roles and missions with simple changes to equipment and weaponry. This allows it to be deployed anywhere in the Empire to quell rebellion and eliminate subversive elements through coordinated team attacks.
However while the saying goes “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but often better than a master of one.” that doesn’t speak true to the Tommy. While it is a formidable mobile suit against older models and weaponized mobile workers, the unit is at a disadvantage against more specialized suits with higher speed, performance or armor.
With the coming of the 3rd generation of mobile suit following the JOHN CARTER project, many are concerned the Tommy may already be approaching obsolescence...
Technical History
The Redcoat made its mark on the Empire quickly became synonymous with what a “Mobile Suit” was over night. However after five years of service, it was apparent that time was not being kind to the design.Though it had helped end the rise of piracy in the Empire, it did not eliminate it. Pirates that survived the destruction of the larger ships because humbled and more methodical in their preparations and piracy tactics.
Many worked to capture or illicitly acquire Redcoats of their own. Worse yet were some pirates actually made improvements on the base design, dubbing them “Turncoats”. It wasn’t long before the Zern Military because insecure about its supremacy and quickly pushed for a new mobile suit to replace the aging Redcoat.
After going through and eliminating various prototype proposals, a design was settled on and produced. Time was taken to refine the design as the same dire circumstances that birthed the Redcoat did not apply. After several months a public display was made showing off the first (official) mass production 2nd Generation Mobile Suit: The ZIMS-02 Tommy.
Though somewhat slower than the Redcoat the Tommy featured a stronger generator, stronger armor, more refined controls and movements, and wielded superior armaments on the field of battle. While some in the military overly criticized the Tommy for being a departure from the Redcoat, Tommy saw an overall positive reception in the military as a whole.
In just a year the Tommy completely replaced the Redcoat for mainline duties and not long after that the Redcoats were largely mothballed, used for training and regulated to reserve duties.
Since then Tommy has built itself a fine track record and become the face of the Zern Military. However some whisper that it isn’t long before the Tommy itself finds itself on the verge of being replaced...
2nd Generation Commander Use Mobile Suit
Limited Production|| Zern Empire- Officers/Aces
Unit Appearance
The Tommy Commander Type is visually not too dissimilar to the base model Tommy. Its only notable difference is the redesigned head which has a boarder, wider top to it mimicking an officer's hat. Atop this new head is a feather like protrusion. More often then not officers and 'aces' alike have their Commander Types painted in their personal colors or outright detailed with gold or silver ornamental detailing just to get across their importance.
Technical Details
Accommodation: Pilot only, standard three-screen cockpit in torso.
Dimensions: 18 meters
Powerplant: Medium-output Wilberforce Reactor
Equipment and Design Features:
•Minor Improvements
The Tommy Commander has all the features of the baseline Tommy, but has been modified for better performance in regards to speed and mobility. Though not suitable for widespread application to the regular Tommy units, these modifications are beneficial to a Tommy with a more specialized role like the Commander Type.
•Communication Plume
Mounted on the head of the Tommy Commander Type is a feather shaped module, reminiscent of a feather in one’s cap. This ‘plume’ is part of the additional sensor and communication systems installed into the Tommy Commander’s head. These boosted sensors and communications allow those piloting it to have a better grasp of the battlefield as well as greater ease in contacting their troops, even under heavy interference from Wilberforce particles.
•Booster System
An additional thruster is mounted to the Tommy Commander’s backpack and a system has been installed. Considered to be an ‘Emergency Booster’ the system greatly increases the output of the thrusters, essentially doubling the Tommy Commander’s speed over the base model. However taxing the thrusters quickly builds up heat, limiting the usage of the system.
This system is intended to allow high-value commanders and such to escape from harm's way should their subordinates fail to protect them or simply fail in their battle outright. However more combat savvy members of the Zern military realizes the system’s potential and made adjustments to their own for more practical purposes.
Despite its intention the Booster System can be used regularly in bursts to enhance maneuvers and give sudden, almost disorienting boosts in speed during fights.
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
•Holdovers
The Tommy Commander Type can use any of the weapons and equipment the ZIMS-02 Tommy can.
•H-VIPER
The “High Velocity Imperial Precision Engineered Revolver” was one of the first, compact MAG weapons ever put into mass production. It takes the form of a mobile suit sized revolver with a flip-out cylinder holding 8-rounds of solid ammunition. This antiquated design is used as traditional systems of gas based, semi-automatic firing and reloading don’t work with MAG weapons.
Though small and considered a sidearm or backup weapon on paper, the H-VIPER is strong enough to outclass most traditional powder weapons in sheer firepower. Its range is somewhat limited and its ammunition minimal, but its accuracy and penetration are superb.
Unlike the Whiskey Rifle, the H-VIPER doesn’t suffer from delayed firing due to charge up time. This is thanks to a length of capacitors installed along the bottom length of the revolver’s barrel.
By drawing power from the mobile suit’s onboard reactor, the H-VIPER can not only charge its rails for a shot but store additional power for the second shot. As long as the weapon isn’t fired in rapid succession it will always have a shot ready with no wait time. This feature however comes at the cost of the revolver’s ability to charge shots however and demands the mobile suit have a moderate-strength reactor at the least in order to use it effectively.
Soon after its production many other revolver-type weapons appeared, most illegally or custom made.
Fixed Armaments
•Flashbang Launchers
Mounted in the head of the Tommy Commander Type, in place of the machine guns of the baseline Tommy, are a pair of low-caliber automatic grenade launchers. Only instead of firing explosives they fire flashbangs, designed to temporarily blind the visual sensors of mobile suits (save for its own). These can be used for escape or combat purposes in battle.
•Nanocarbon Saber
A slightly curved saber with a handguard produced by the Sharp Workshops. Though the blade is thin it is very sturdy and has an incredibly sharp edge able to stab and cut through Liten armor with ease. Initially given to the Command Type Tommy for ornamental purposes, the saber soon gained a reputation for its effectiveness and was kept on for practical purposes.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The ZIMS-02R Tommy Commander Type has greater performance, communications, and speed then the baseline Tommy model. Careful use of the booster system ensures that it can’t be easily caught or gunned down, and its choice of weapons make it well suited and dangerous in close quarters combat. However the Commander Type's speed is tied directly to its onboard booster system which in turn becomes its biggest weakness. Overuse of the system can cause it to overheat and risks causing the engines to explode all together.
Technical History
The ZIMS-02 Tommy was designed to replace the aging Redcoat and filled the role it did very well. However not everyone was satisfied. Though a good general purpose combat mobile suit, the Tommy was lacking in other areas and failed to deliver on the needs of those operating in more specialized roles. Sharpshooters, scouts, and especially officers and in-field commanders found the Tommy wanting.However since the Tommy was designed to be simple and easy to repair, it also meant that there was plenty of room for additions and modifications. Instead of producing an entirely new mobile suit different parts and equipment could be made for the ZIMS-02 Tommy to adapt it to a new role.
There were limitations to this however, but one of the variations produced was the ZIMS-02R “Tommy Commander Type”
Concern was raised that officers in the field weren’t as well protected as they could be...mostly by the officers themselves. Though better than a Redcoat which some older officers and troops refused to move on from, plenty felt their Tommy’s warranted being somewhat better than the standard soldier’s given their greater tactical importance on the field of battle.
So the baseline Tommy was tweaked and given enhanced communications, an emergency booster system, and overall performance improvements. The changes were a big hit with officers, though many lower ranking soldiers criticized the employment of the Commander Type as an “expensive way to run away”. However the more capable officers and commanders within the Zern Empire proved the Commander Type to be more than just for show.
The increase in performance, though not significant, proved to make a difference in close quarters combat and the emergency booster turned out to have more practical purposes than just retreating. It wasn’t long before the Commander Type became highly sought after by those in the Zern Military looking for a higher performance mobile suit.
Though still used primarily by officers, the Tommy Commander Type is also given to particularly skilled soldiers who prove their abilities in battle.
JOHN CARTER PROJECT MS
3rd Generation Experimental Technology Prototype
Unique|| None
Unit Appearance
The Oliver is a short mobile suit with a simple, almost ornamental exterior with plated white armor over a black frame. Its head is rounded and a large blue visor hides and protects its optics, with two blue 'eyes' becoming visible when the unit is operated. The limbs of the Oliver and its entire body for that matter show a notable lack of boxy rigidness that was often associated with first generation mobile suits. Muscle like bulges and protrusions are hidden beneath its chassis but can sometimes be caught in glances while it is in motion.
Overall the Oliver gives off a 'young' almost child-esque vibe to it, giving it an unassuming and nonthreatening appearance to those who first see it.
Technical Details
Accommodation: Pilot and observer, panormaic cockpit located in torso
Dimensions: 15 Meters high
Powerplant: High-output Wilberforce Reactor
Equipment and Design Features:
•Artificial Muscle Fibers
Instead of the traditional servo motors standard in other mobile suits, the Oliver Gundam utilizes artificial muscle fibers. The fibers are made of a special memory material that contract and expand when a certain electrical current passes through it. This emulates the muscles of living beings and has proven to be more efficient than standard hydraulics. This gives the Oliver a tremendous amount of physical strength in a relatively compact package, allowing it to crush and rend the limbs of suits with just its bare hands.
•Prototype Plasma Thrusters
The Oliver has a trio of plasma thrusters built into its back. These thrusters convert electrical power directly into forward thrust, eliminating the need for any kind of fuel. The output of the thrusters is also rather considerable, giving the JCP-000 Oliver a high degree of speed in space with the numerous verniers placed across its body assisting with mobility. However the plasma thrusters, being mere prototypes, are very power hungry and overheat if pressed too far. The Oliver can only use them properly thanks to its powerful on-board reactor.
•The KINGSFORD System
The design goal of the JCP-000 Oliver was to challenge assumptions about the basics and standards of mobile suits. Its designer felt that manual controls of mobile suits at the time were too clumsy and went about designing a thought-control interface that didn’t rely on invasive implants or hardware.
They came up with the KINGSFORD system.
By using a powerful array of sensors and a complex program designed to read and translate the individual signals of the brain, the KINGSFORD system could allow for a mobile suit to be controlled by the pilot’s thoughts. Only minimal use of physical controls were needed and though awkward to use at first the system allowed for greater reaction times and more fluid, human-like movements
However there was a small problem with the system.
It killed the pilot.
One of the benefits of the system was the lack of any invasive hardware or implants. Yet accurately reading the relatively weak brain activity of a human through a layer of flesh and bone proved to be difficult at times. When the system failed to properly pick up a reading it would simply boost the strength of its sensors to maximum to ensure proper operation.
However the sensors at maximum would begin to interfere with the pilot’s brain. This would eventually cause an increase in aggression, irrational behavior, before eventually inciting a seizure and killing the pilot 9 times out of ten.
The flaw with the sensors never got the chance to be corrected, though designer claimed the main issue was with the pilot’s weak brainwaves then the system itself.
•Incomplete Paper Tiger
The development of the Oliver was abandoned before the unit could be refined and its problems worked out. It was never fitted for proper armor and is instead left with a thin, white plasteel exterior to keep the internals from being exposed to the elements. This offers little to no protection and leaves it vulnerable to attack in its current, unarmored state.
There is also an issue with the grip-pressure control on the suit. It has a tendency to crush things that it tries to hold. This leaves it crushing and mangling any firearms it attempts to use, forcing it to use solidly built melee weapons or alternatives instead.
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
•None
Fixed Armaments
•Nanocarbon α Folding Shield
Carried by the Oliver and mounted to its arm is a folding shield able to quickly deploy outwards to form a large, oval shaped shield reminiscent of an antiquated hide-shield. Through thin and lightweight, the shield is made of Nanocarbon Alpha, the first ‘militarized’ form of Nanocarbon for use as armor. It is tremendously hard and resistant to all but the highest caliber Powder weapons. This resilience comes at a literal cost as the material is expensive to make and even harder to work with.
•Nanocarbon “Iklwa” x2
An odd weapon the designer based off an antiquated short-spear she read about in her youth. The Iklwa is half the length of a normal spear with a long, wide bladed tip made of nanocarbon. It can be used for stabbing, slashing, and can be easily used as a throwing weapon. The shaft is also made of nanocarbon, especially reinforced not to break under the Oliver’s furious strength. Two of these weapons are kept in storage racks behind the Oliver’s shoulders.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The Oliver is a very advanced mobile suit with jumping height, land speed, physical strength, and overall performance wildly outpacing that of 2nd Generation mobile suits. In direct melee combat it is nothing short of a monster, capable of destroying most other mobile suit with its bare hands.
However in its incomplete state it’s primarily feature, its thought-control system is useless. Its lack of armor makes it a berserker unable to take a hit and its inability to use firearms due to its poor grip control confines it to fighting with simple weapons. On top of this its use of nonstandard parts and components makes it very time consuming to repair and maintain.
Technical History
The Oliver first began as nothing more than the pet project of a young aspiring technical student named Lycoris Sparks. She had been given the resources to construct something based on what she had been studying during the program, which took the form of a mobile suit. Though the initial iteration of the Oliver was crude, unnamed and constructed mostly out of spare parts it nevertheless caught the eye of a high ranking influential military man.
Lycoris was given the chance to refine the Oliver into a proper mobile suit and went at it with a mad zeal. Develope was quite fast and Lycoris’s desire to prove herself pushed her forward. Before long the initial frame, power supply, thrusters, and artificial muscle fiber system was finished.
However, the pride and joy of the project, the KINGSFORD system, was still largely unfinished. Lycoris poured all her time and effort into perfecting the system, seeing the immense potential and power her design could bring. For a time it seemed like the system was growing close to what she imagined it to be and that the finish line was in sight…
Then the pilot died.
They suffered a seizure during a flight test and crashed the Oliver. If the seizure hadn’t killed, the full speed impact would have.
Though the Oliver was eventually repaired and the issue identified due to a flaw in the KINGSFORD system, the damage was done. The test pilot had been from a very influential family who was soon out for Lycoris’s blood. Only her close friendship with one of the members of the Royal Family saved her, but nevertheless tarnished her reputation.
No one wanted to pilot the Oliver and few trusted Lycoris’s designs. Ultimately the Oliver was left unfinished and stuffed into storage. Though it was considered a failure the Oliver ultimately sparked a desire within the military to develop the next generation of mobile suits using young, brilliant minds fostered by the Huffam Outreach program.
The John Carter Project was born and the Oliver gained its name, being referred to as “Oliver Twist” in passing as a mocking joke. However this ultimately established the naming convention of the Project and led to the Oliver being considered the ‘unofficial first’ mobile suit developed by it.
The Oliver was left to rot in storage until, years later, it was taken out and brought to Venus by its creator in the hopes of repairing her reputation.
3rd Generation All-Range Attack Prototype Mobile Suit
Unique|| Zern Empire
Unit Appearance
The Fagyin is a gaunt, hunched over mobile suit with a streamlined body punctuated by four large containers fixed to its back. Its head has a long faceplate and recessed duel optics, that make it vaguely appear like an old man with a beard and sunken eyes. All four of the Faygin’s limbs appear to be quite bulky and fat for its otherwise lightweight design. The limbs can separate into eight limbs total, allowing the Faygin to take on a spider-like form where it claws along the ground on all of its legs/arms.
Fixed to its rear armor is a large, bulbous piece of equipment that looks vaguely like the abdomen of a spider.
Its entire body is painted a suppressed beige color and its optics are a calming, yet deceitful blue.
Technical Details
Accommodation: Pilot and secondary operator in custom, tandem multi-screened cockpit in torso.Dimensions: 18 meters, 10 meters while on all eight legs
Powerplant: Medium Output Wilberforce Reactor
Equipment and Design Features:
•Multi-Limb System
The Faygin is equipped with a system that accommodates the installation and usage of more than four limbs. Its two arms and legs can split in four arms and four legs respectively. At first the design team simply wished to reinforce the Faygin’s limbs to ensure it would be able to carry the weight of its weapons. However, they realized the added benefit of extra limbs and designed a system around the idea.Each limb is double jointed and capable of moving in ways that other mobile suit limbs simply can’t. This makes the Faygin particularly limber and allows it the means to crawl on walls, ceilings, and across terrain on all eight of its limbs much like a spider.
•Enhanced Communication and Sensor System
Fixed to the rear of the Faygin is a pod with dedication communication and sensory amplifying hardware. This package greatly boosts the range and quality of Faygin’s comms and sensors. Allowing it to more easily detect enemies and coordinate with its own weapon systems on the field of battle. While still greatly limited in the presence of particle interference, it allows the Faygin to fare better than most.
•Signal Relay Stakes x24
Built into each of the Faygin’s eight limbs is a small stake launcher that deploys from beneath the armor to fire. Each launcher has three stakes, each with a small built-in signal relay device. These relays can be fired into the surrounding terrain, sinking them into the ground or leaving them adrift in space. When the relays are set up in short intervals from one another, they boost the distance communications can go and help to alleviate particle inference by strengthening signals as they bounce from relay to relay.
There are limits to the distance this system can function properly and each relay has a limited inbuilt power supply. However they help the Faygin to more easily communicate and coordinate its weapon systems, making them a useful tool in engagements.
•ECM System
Built into the head of the Faygin is a powerful ECM (electronic countermeasure) system that emits a jamming field, enemy communications and disrupting their sensors. This makes it harder for the enemy to identify the location of the Faygin, while the Faygin and its allies retain the benefit of their own comms and sensors thanks to its relays and sensory package.
•“CUTPURSE” Automated Weapon Control System
The Faygin is fitted with an advanced onboard control system designed specifically for the usage and governance of automated weapons. By using this system a single pilot can control multiple separate weapon systems, their movements, and firing parameters while still being able to focus on piloting their own mobile suit. This is all thanks to the artificial intelligence integrated with the system.
At the moment CUTPURSE isn’t particularly developed and it only provides a minimal alleviation to the strain of managing multiple weapons. However, the more it is used the more it will learn, and the greater the effectiveness of its support. At least, that’s what it's supposed to do.
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
•None
Fixed Armaments
•Nanocarbon Wire
To counteract particle interference, the Faygin remains connected to its weapons through use of ultra thin, ultra sharp nanocarbon wires. Borderline invisible to the naked eye in space and capable of cutting through Liten and Plasteel with ease, the Faygin is able to control its wired weapons from a safe distance. In the event an enemy should fit it and draw near, the Faygin can spool out the wire and use it as a melee weapon.
•CHILD (CHosen Indirect Learning Destroyer) x4
The main armament of the Faygin Gundam are four, wire guided all-range weapons known as “CHILD”. They are rounded off cylinders made of Nanocarbon Alpha with each sporting its own small onboard generator, prolusion, and guidance systems. Capable of flying in space or under gravity, each CHILD flies off the Faygin’s back. Deploying their weapons they scatter and attack enemies from different directions, overwhelming them with simultaneous attacks from different angles.
Each CHILD is incredibly mobile and heavily armored, with the typical weak spots being reinforced to ensure they can’t be easily exploited. This makes fighting them directly a losing proposition to all but the most heavily armed of opponents.
The four CHILD units the Faygin carries each have different armaments:
- CHILD #1: Is equipped with a 90mm, eight barrel rotary chaingun carrying a large amount of ammunition. Its high rate of fire and penetration allows it to shoot down incoming projectiles and shred lightly armored or slow targets.
- CHILD #2: Equipped with a 70mm fully automatic grenade launcher loaded to the brim with high explosive rounds.
- CHILD #3: Fitted with secured firing tubes the third CHILD carries a large number of short range missiles and rockets that its able to fire off in rapid succession.
- CHILD #4: Equipped with a long-barreled 200mm MAG cannon that telescopes out from its interior. Though slower firing then the other CHILD units, the fourth CHILD is capable of long range precision shots.
If disconnected from the Faygin, each CHILD can remain functional and act autonomously until it can reconnection. However their abilities and coordination with one another notably drop when disconnected.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The Faygin is an indirect attacker that remains on staying hidden or out of range of enemies. Should it fail to keep enemies at bay or find itself without the support of allies, the Faygin will find itself largely powerless in one on one combat. Its armor, propulsion, and single weapon are of little use to it should its CHILD units fail.
However should the Faygin succeed in evading discovery it can harass enemies, jam their communications, and scramble their own sensors, making it an excellent unit for supporting more frontal attackers.
Technical History
In the novel “Oliver Twist”, Faygin was a wizened, deceitful miser of a man who corrupted young children and turned them into his personal pickpockets. Selling off what they stole for his own profits and using trickery to avoid the consequences of his corrupt actions. This name was chosen because the initial aim of the Faygin was different then what it turned into.
The design team of the Faygin Gundam wished to design a fully automated mobile suit capable of taking over enemy units and controlling them remotely. Just the idea of a unit capable of turning enemy mobile suits into expendable allies and using them as pawns to overwhelm opponents was an exciting prospect.
However while their initial experiments with the invasive hi-jacking stakes proved fruitful, actually maintaining a connection with the Faygin in the place of particle interference complicated matters. Things only got worse when the lead developer of the A.I unit went missing under rather questionable circumstances.
In the end the advanced A.I the design team dreamed off couldn’t be completed without it hi-jacking enemy units would prove too difficult for a single pilot or even a pair of pilots. They were able to get a functional, but not as sophisticated A.I finished using surviving notes from the previous desighter and did their best to work with it.
The Faygin was altered to be a supportive unit with wired, “All-range attack” units fitted with fearsome armor and weapons. Actually controlling the units proved problematic for some time, requiring a pair of test pilots to operate the machine and the weapon as CUTPURSE was properly finished and calibrated.
Unsatisfied and feeling robbed of their initial vision, the design team signed off on the Faygin and sent it off to the expo on Venus.
3rd Generation High-Mobility Prototype Mobile Suit
Unique|| Operator/Individual Pilot
Unit Appearance
The Dodger Gundam has a minimal, almost skeletal appearance with narrow limbs, a very thin midsection, and a compact torso. Even its head follows this ultralight-weight design, being composed of a thin stalk mounting a powerful yellow compound optic with six panels sticking out of it containing other sensors. Some of the only parts of its body with any significant mass are the larger thrusters mounted on its back, the back of its legs, and fitted into the bottom of its otherwise sturdy looking feet. The Dodger Gundam is painted primarily in brown and partially covered up by a seemingly over sized cloak/coak with a hood.
Technical Details
Accommodation: Pilot only, liquid-filled G-force resistance cockpit located in chest.
Dimensions: 17 meters tall
Powerplant: Optimized Medium-output Wilberforce Reactor
Equipment and Design Features:
•Rapid-Pulse Plasma Thrusters
Built into the legs, feet, and fitted to the back of the Dodger are large and powerful thrusters. These thrusters were developed from the plasma thrusters produced by the Raj Factory. Unlike the typical, power-hungry plasma thrusters produced by Raj however these thrusters were made specifically for the Dodger Gundam and optimized for proper power consumption.
Their tremendous output combined with how light the Dodger was gave it an insane speed. Allowing it to outpace and outmaneuver any other mobile suit in production at the time, even outdoing most of the other Gundams in the John Carter Project. These thrusters even allowed the Dodger to easily fly under gravity without the need for other equipment.
However with tremendous speed came tremendous strain, both for the pilot and the frame...
•G-Force Resistance Cockpit
The first initial tests of the Dodger nearly caused crashes, with the pilots blacking out due to the sheer G-forces produced by the Gundam’s thrusters. Instead of dialing back their ambitions for speed, they instead developed ways to help mitigate the forces on the pilot. Developing a special pilot suit with gel that would expand and cushion the wearers body when under extreme forces. Next came the cockpit itself which was fashioned into a panoramic fish-bowl like design and filled with a special liquid. This liquid was breathable like air, filling the pilot’s lungs with liquid and helping to mitigate the impact of the G-forces on their body.
While unusual and requiring extra-waterproofing of the interior of the cockpit, the design helped to work around the strain produced by the Dodger’s speed.
•Nanocarbon-BETA Frame
To ensure the Dodger Gundam’s body could remain as lightweight as possible without simply breaking apart from strain, the design team put careful consideration into the material used in the frame. They went through several frames of common and experimental materials before they settled. Nanocarbon wasn’t the lightest material, but it had better strength per-density then Liten. Basic Nanocarbon was unsuitable as armor and Nanocarbon Alpha was too costly and difficult to work with.
Thankfully their dealings with the Raj Factory gave them access to Nanocarbon Beta, a less protective but nevertheless effective material. This gave the Dodger Gundam’s body the resilience it needed to withstand its own speeds without breaking apart.
•LONGCOAT System
To combat the low defense of the Dodger Gundam, a stealth system was developed for the mobile suit. Named the “LONGCOAT” the system takes the form of a seemingly cloth coat that covers the exterior of the mobile suit. Heat and tear resistant, one might initially think the coat is some attempt at an ablative fabric armor. The reality is anything but.
The fabric is a complex system of camera and projection screens. When given power the fabric goes from a dull brown to showing its surroundings, acting as a kind of optical camo for the Dodger. Though fragile, fragile enough that installing the system on the frame of the Dodger was ruled out, the system is effective.
Even though it doesn’t cover the Dodger’s entire body the visibility reduction it gives combined with the Dodger’s blinding speed makes it very difficult to catch with sensors or the naked eye.
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
•None Fixed Armaments
•90mm D1-PLUME Machine Pistols x2
The Dodger is equipped with a pair of conventional machine pistols. Chambered in 90mm they have a high rate of fire and good penetration, but their accuracy is typically sub-par. They are kept on the Dodger’s hips and usually used as emergency weapons or against other fast, lightly armored targets. Two reloads for each pistol are also stored on the hip.
•Chain Daggers x2
Using teeth made of Nanocarbon, the Dodger is equipped with two blades fitted like miniature chainsaws. Propelled by a powerful drive the blades rapidly cycle across the blade creating a powerful cutting action that can cut through armor with greater ease. Using these blades the Dodger launches hit-and-run attacks against enemies, slashing at them as it flies past.
•DET-Cord Dispenser
The Dodger is equipped with various explosives, one of which is a type of explosive cord called DET-Cord.
Regular det cord is actually used in construction and doesn’t ‘explode’ so much as it burns so fast it produces an effect similar to exploding. The Dodger’s DET-Cord operates in a similar vein, burning and producing an explosive effect even in the vacuum of space. Stored on a reel on the Dodger’s rear, the cord can be spooled out and automatically cut while in flight.
This allows the Dodger to leave strings of DET-cord behind in its wake, curving them around ships or weaving them in between groups of mobile suits to damage them in the subsequent explosion. It can even be used manually, tied around structures or the limbs of mobile suits to amputate them completely. Though doing so requires getting close and is far from easy
•Blue Napalm Grenade Mines
The Dodger carries small hand grenades fitted with proximity and IFF sensors. It can throw them at enemies or drop them in its wake as it moves, deploying them as mines. Instead of being simple explosive or fragmentation grenades however, these mine/grenade hybrids release a potent indenciary dubbed “Blue Napalm”.
This incendiary burns well in space and can quickly eat through armor, allowing the Dodger to weaken otherwise defense heavy foes. Though the flames cannot be put out with conventional extinguisher systems the flames burn themselves out quickly.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The Dodger Gundam has tremendous speed and mobility, allowing it to outrun and out maneuver virtually any combatant it is faced against. Using its pistols, Chain Daggers, and explosives it can deny direct confrontation with its enemies and wear down their defenses until it can strike a killing blow. The optical camo provided by its LONGCOAT System make it difficult to spot until it is too late.
However the Dodger Gundam’s defenses are minimal at best. While it has some durability, shocking for a near skeletal mobile suit, it cannot take any kind of punishment. Thus it relies on avoiding hits rather then taking them. The armaments of the unit can also be insufficient depending on the opponents it is faced with. Its LONGCOAT systems effectiveness also drops the more damage it takes as the cameras and projectors are easily destroyed.
Technical History
The Dodger Gundam was one of the first, official mobile suits in the John Carter Project. Its design team was ambitious but forced itself to stick to a single goal: Making the fastest mobile suit possible. Named after the Artful Dodger from Oliver Twist, the mobile suit would focus on speed above all else (with other design teams claiming to the detriment of everything else).
Initial development time was wrapped up with keeping the suit’s weight as light as possible, finding the best propulsion, and finding methods to counteract the insane G-force strain the pilot would be faced with. It wasn’t long until the issues were gradually solved however as more and more of the design team got friendly with the Raj Factory to help expedite development by sharing technologies.
Being the first MS completed in the project the design staff wanted to, somewhat ironically, preemptively announced the Dodger and show it off. However those overseeing the John Carter Project found a reason to delay them, stating the combat capabilities of their mobile suit were underwhelming. If they couldn’t have a proper defense they would need to find a way to compensate for that.
The design team was forced to return to the drawing board, developing armaments and a stealth system. Though their results were successful their deviation from their single-minded goal of making the fastest mobile suit had lessened their stride. By the time they were finished the expo where the John Carter Project’s labors was already in the works...
3rd Generation High Performance Prototype Mobile Suit
Unique|| Zern Empire/None
Unit Appearance
The JCP-003 Sykes is a tall, jet black mobile suit with a compound optic hidden beneath a menacing red visor. It has wide shoulders, visibly sleek armor, and pronounced arms ending in feminine-esque hands tipped with short sharp claws. Two short, wings like protrusions stick out of its back in place of where a traditional thruster pack would be. Its head is well sized and three horn-like protrusions that complete the dark, foreboding aura the suit was designed to give off.
Technical Details
Accommodation: Pilot only, panoramic cockpit located in torso.
Dimensions: 21 meters tall
Powerplant: High-output Wilberforce Reactor
Equipment and Design Features:
•Refined Plasma Thrusters
The designer of the failed JCP-000 Oliver was allowed, under heavy insistence from a certain influential individual, to be allowed to assist on the development of the Sykes Gundam. One of the contributions they made was a pair of plasma thrusters that took advantage of the Syke's powerful reactor to provide it with equally powerful thrust. Though it went unsaid to avoid any problems, the thrusters were refinements of the thrusters used on the Oliver made larger and placed on wing-like units that would help act as cooling units to maximize the usage of the thrusters.
Thanks to these advancements the JCP-003 Sykes and fly under gravity such as inside space colonies or in the upper atmosphere of Venus without the need for additional equipment.
•Nanocarbon Alpha/Voltaic Armor
No expense was spared in the making of the Sykes and the costly, difficult to work with Nanocarbon Alpha was used in its armor construction. At least, partially. The outer layer of Sykes armor is comprised of Nanocarbon α, under which is a gap and a second layer of armor made of a weaker but highly conductive material. This second layer is highly charged and while the outer layer is grounded. When a round manages to penetrate the first layer of armor it passes into the gap and creates a bridge between both layers. This releases a powerful discharge of electricity and disintegrates the projectile, much like an overloaded fuse.
Though very effective against powder and MAG weapons, it provides little protection from energy weapons. On top of this the nature of the armor's design leaves the Sykes vulnerable to high-power electrical surges should its outer layer of armor be compromised.
•Half-Standard, Half-Artificial Muscle
The use of artificial muscle fibers similar to what was used in the Oliver was included, albeit begrudgingly. Only half the amount was used and the other half remained traditional systems. This gave Sykes a greater boost in physical strength and fluidity of movement, allowing it to run and uses its limbs in a very graceful and precise manner.
•Four-Arm Separation System
Though the Sykes appears to have two armors, as per standard of mobile suits, in reality there is a second set of arms connected to the first. When needed the connection plates can separate and a second pair of arms can spring out for use in combat or to surprise the enemy in melee combat. Though thinner then the main arms and possessing only three digits, these arms are no less strong and are capable of wielding all of the Sykes weapons. Though providing a significant boost to the number of weapons it can shield at once and its options in melee combat, the use of two additional arms can be taxing on pilots due to the amount of multi-tasking needed.
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
•130mm "Bulls-Eye" Gyrojet Rifle
A 130mm semi-automatic rifle with a carry handle, a cooling jacket around the barrel, hold out stock and firing optic. The Bulls-Eye rifle, much like the pistols the Sykes carries, use Gyrojet rounds. While ineffective at close ranges they can do serious damage at long ranges. The Bulls-Eye rifle is designed to be able to shift between a mid-range combat rifle and a long-range sniper rifle, making full use of the gyrojet rounds it utilizes.
Fixed Armaments
•Nanocarbon Claw Tips
The hands of the Sykes are tipped with small claws that make it easier to scratch or puncture the armor of other mobile suits. While not large enough to be used as a proper blade, the claws in combination with the precision movements the Sykes is capable of can be used like a scalpel to cut into vulnerable and vital of enemies.
•Heat Cleavers x2
The Sykes carries a pair of cleaver-like blades kept in sheaths under its armpits. These cleavers use blades made of a special alloy and are sharpened to a razor sharp edge. While the alloy is actually softer then nanocarbon it has a special property in that it can hold and retain strength even at extreme temperatures. Mechanisms in the handles of the blades rapidly super heat the blades until they glow a visible orange. In this state the heat cleavers can chop and cut through even Nanocarbon Alpha with ease, abusing the otherwise strong material's weakness to heat.
This makes it a dangerous melee weapons able to hack through even the toughest defenses. However the blades themselves have durability issues, even with the alloy being designed specifically for the purpose. As a result the blades will lose their cutting edge and begin to melt after a certain amount of usage. Thankfully the handles of the cleavers can eject the worn blades, allowing Sykes to 'draw' new blades from the ones stored in racks on his hips.
•70mm "Little Medicine" Gyrojet Pistol x2
The Sykes Gundam carries a pair of 70mm, Gyrojet semi-automatic pistols kept in holster-like compartments inside of its legs, folding outwards and deploying the pistols when needed. These large pistols, fitted with extend barrels, fire the equivalent of miniature rockets opposed to regular powder rounds. Though their initial speed from out of the barrel is less then a regular shell, they build up significantly more speed over time and are very damaging over distances. While the rate of fire is limited due to the difficulties of capturing escaped gases to cycle the action, a semi-automatic mechanism is possible. Each has a 12 round magazine with spares kept in the 'holster' segments of the legs.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The Sykes is a high performance, well rounded mobile suit with excellent protection, mobility, and equal parts long range and close range combat capabilities. It can fly under gravity and has an additional set of arms to ply its potent physical strength to the fullest in close quarters. At first glance it is an imposing machine otherwise resistant to conventional weapon systems.
However the Sykes Voltaic Armor, while powerful, is specialized and leaves it vulnerable to energy based weapons and strong electrical attacks. Its armaments also leave a range gap that enemies can taken advantage of. It has its heat cleavers and claws for close quarters, and its gyroject weapons for long range. However medium range is where the Sykes suffers the most, as its Gyrojets out damage traditional powder weapons when they're given the distance to build up proper velocity.
Also, due to being a prototype and a costly one at that, repairs are difficult and take some time to complete.
Technical History
In the novel "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens, the character Sikes was a mean, viscous, murderous man who only cared for himself and hurt countless others in his greedy pursuits. The name felt fitting for the creation of one more ambitious development teams on the John Carter Project. Led by a designer named Lorrian Lazland, the focus of Sykes was to make a high performance combat mobile suit able to excel in the destruction of the Empire's enemies.
Early on in development. Lazland was informed he had a terminal illness and would soon perish. The man stayed on with the project, intent on pouring everything he could into the Sykes in order to make it into his legacy as a designer. He went to extreme lengths to ensure his team had everything they needed in regards to funding and materials. The man went as far as to delve into threats, extortion, blackmail, and even stealing the work of other less-reknowned developers.
However for all of Lazland's fervent work, the man perished before the Sykes could be fulled completed leaving his development team to try and finish the work themselves. However, because of his 'borrowing' of certain technologies his team was left unable to complete the implementing of them. When Lazland's theft was discovered by the owner of the technology's, Lycoris Sparks, she took advantage of the situation and cut a deal with the development team.
Lycoris would finish implementing the systems Lazland had based off her own designs and she would remain quiet, both about Lazland's theft and her own involvement in finishing the Sykes. In returned a letter written by Lazland wrote 'conveniently' before his death would show up, calling on old friends of his to allow Lycoris to pull the Oliver out of storage and show it off at the expo alongside the other Gundams.
With the Sykes finished and its initial combat tests proving satisfactory, the development team was forced to bit the bullet and give into Lycoris's demands.
Now the Sykes is slated to appear at the expo with the other John Carter units.
3rd Generation Prototype Energy Weapon MS
Unique||Zern Empire
Unit Appearance
The Bates is a sturdy, rounded, purple and white mobile suit with noticably thick arms and legs. Its back protrudes outwards somewhat and there are noticeable apparatus installed into its chest. Painted a white color that stands out from the rest of its body the head has a pair of duel optics nestled inside of a recession beneath two eye-like VSL emitters built into the sides of its head.
Technical Details
Accommodation: Pilot only,
Dimensions: 19 Meters
Powerplant: High-output Wilberforce Reactor
Equipment and Design Features:
•Heat Sink and Cooling System
The Bates is equipped with powerful cooling system to compensate for the heat generated by its on-board and handheld energy weapons. This takes the the form of a pair of stubby, wing like protrusions that are collapsed into the back when not in use and fold out when they are needed. These 'wings' are fitted with a series of vents and heat sink plates that can use various methods to mitigate and manage the excessive heat generated by the Bate's weapons. While effective however they are quite vulnerable to attack when folded outwards, as the vents and heat sinks have no armor.
•Long Range Sensors
Given the focus the Bates has on ranged combat, long range visual cameras and powerful sensors were a must. Using these sensors it can spot incoming mobile suits and more easy fire on far-off targets from safe distances or firing locations. Due to the VSLs taking up most of the room in its head the majority of the Bate's sensors are located in its torso.
•Nanocarbon β with Gel Armor
Working closely with the Raj Factory in regards to the energy weapons, getting ahold of Nanocarbon Beta to use for the armor of the Bates was a simple matter. However it felt concering to use an armor type that was weak against energy weapons on a mobile suit designed to solely use them. As a result the design team got to work trying to figure out a way to resolve the problem. What they came up with involved apply a special mix of Venusian Aerogel and other materials to the outer armor, while playing layers of gel beneath the armor. The gel possessed high heat resistance while the Nanocarbon β retained its ballistic protection.
While effective for protecting the Bates from ranged attacks it would likely be on the recieving end of, applying the gel armor compromised the Nanocarbon β's protection from melee. As slashing, or even bludgeoning weapons could abuse the weaknesses in the armor made by the gel and do serious damage. However this was simply taken as an inherent flaw in the design and left as it was.
Weapons and Combat Capabilities
Handheld Armaments
•None
Fixed Armaments
•Shoulder Mounted Plasma Burst Cannon x2
The Bates is equipped with two plasma mortars fixed to its back, designed to angle over the shoulders to fire. These cannons draw energy directly from the Bate's on-board reactor, converting energy directly into super heated plasma. To overcome the unfocused, slow nature of plasma projectiles the design team designed the plasma cannons on the Bates to fire in bursts.
With each cannon lobbing three globs of glowing blue plasma with every pull of the trigger, the ease of avoiding the slow moving projectiles was mitigated by simply saturating targets with burning blue death. In space the plasma could be fired directly forward while under gravity the plasma could be fired in arcs to indirectly attack enemy targets.
The Bate's Plasma Cannons can fire as long as they have fire and are only limited by the strain on the reactor and the sheer amount of heat that eventually builds up from firing.
•2x PHANTOM Model V.S.L
The Bates Gundam has a pair of visible spectrum lasers built into the sides of its head. These are blue/violet spectrum VSLs which are more powerful, and more power hungry then common red spectrum VSLs. Their increased power allows them to do more damage then standard VSLs even with a few moments of focus. When firing they consume a large amount of power and also generate a tremendous amount of heat, which is cycled through the suit and pushed into the cooling system on the unit’s back.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The Bates has a potent arsenal of energy weapons at its disposable that allow it to engage enemies at various distances and with different levels of precision. Since most mobile suits aren't properly defended against energy weapons, the Bates can deal significant damage to enemy forces while being protected against similar attacks itself. As long as the Bates is able to keep its enemies at a distance and forced them into ranged combat, it can enforce its superiority of firepower.
However the Bates has little to no melee capabilities or protection. In close quarters combat all it can do is hope to disengage and should it fail to do that it will be in extreme danger. The cooling system on its back is also very vulnerable when extended and in use. Since it is unarmored a well place shot could do significant damage to the base and ruin its ability to deal with the incredible amounts of heat produced from its weapon systems.
Technical History
In the Oliver Twist novel, Bates was a minor character who reformed from a life of crime and became a shepherd. The Bates Gundam was named as such due to its shift from an incredibly ambitious weapon development platform to a more humble, especialized unit that settled on simply mounting the still underdeveloped energy weapons available at the time.
Since the beginning the primary focus of the development team of the Bates was to make a mobile suit that exclusively mounted energy weapons. However VSLs and especially Plasma weapons all had major faults that barred them from ultimately rising up and overtaking the more conventional ballistic weapons tech that prevailed in the Zern Empire.
So the development team went about trying to refine plasma weapons, intially drawing up plans for a "Plasma Rifle" and "Plasma Saber" for the Bates Gundam to use. However their attempts to focus Plasma into a controlled field and accelerate it for ranged weapon purposes ultimate proved disastrous. Their experiments ultimately lead to the destruction of not one, but three separate prototype mobile suits and the near death of the brave test pilots of each one.
After wasting a tremendous amount of their funds the Bates development team swallowed their pride and admitted the feat of refining plasma weaponry was simply too much for their team.
Yet they were still firmly intent on making the Bates use exclusively energy weapons and did their best to work around the flaws present in the energy weapons.
High-power VSLs were installed in the head and burst-firing plasma cannons were fitted to the back. With careful consideration and dedication to the idea of energy weapon mobile suit, the Bates finally took proper shape as a dangerous ranged mobile suit capable of long ranged bombardment and the piercing of enemy defenses.
Though the design was far from the idyllic version the team had initially envisioned, they were nearly out of money and simply satisfied to have finished the suit in time. With final checks made the Bates Gundam was set away to the expo on Venus...
