ROBOMECK MECKA
Space War I Era Mecka
It
was a gift from the heavens, albeit one bringing with it tremendous death and
destruction. The giant alien ship was a
Prometheus, bringing the gift of fire to humanity and then burning them with it
. . . over and over again. The ship held
the secrets of Proto-fuel, which was an incredibly potent clean-burning power
source. Even more, its use could create
a man-machine link that could make a fully articulated humanoid robot truly
possible. All of this meant one thing:
powerful space aliens were out there and we’d best prepare for war. You see, the alien ship was clearly a warship
crewed by giants and who knows when they might come for looking for it.
With
the threat of an invasion by an alien warrior culture with advanced technology,
and with the resources of the whole world at the disposal of earth’s defenders,
sure, let’s build a jet fighter that transforms into a giant robot! The man/machine link created by Proto-fueled
engines allowed for the practical use of transforming humanoid robots in combat. The robots could face the giant aliens, the
Zee, on equal terms, and the flight ability assured maximum speed in
deployment. It was truly an innovation.
Of
course, the journey of the SDC-1, it’s unexpected departure from earth, it’s
fight to return home, and the cataclysmic end of Space War I are
well-known. A successful movie and TV
series have chronicled the events, if somewhat luridly showcasing the personal
lives of some of the major personalities of the war. There was no real happy ending. The Zee left stranded on earth mostly turned
to terrorism against the human survivors.
This led to their final tragic act of revenge by mad Zee commander
Centaurus, destroying himself, his troops, and the SDC-1 and 2. Humanity, ever resilient, buried the ships
under gaunt monuments and then turned its attention back to the stars.
Deva (Air/Space fighter)
The
original Deva was an amazingly capable mecka with its powerful payload,
versatility, and resilience. Based on
the classic F-14 Tomcat, veteran pilots had no trouble adapting to it. In the hands of an ace, it was almost
unbeatable. A steady attrition of
qualified pilots during the war would take its toll on the craft’s overall
effectiveness, but only Zee aces could really challenge a Deva in hands of an
experienced pilot. The Zee may have been
beaten by human “culture,” but were it not for the Deva holding the line, that
contamination would have never happened.
The
Deva has three modes of operation.
Flight mode looks like a standard fighter aircraft. Hover mode allows the use of arms and legs,
but can still fly. Battler is full
humanoid robot mode.
Mecka HP: 20
Mecka Armor Class: Base 10 + Dex
Bonus + ½ level
Speed: Fighter F, Hover
S, Battler M run
Sensors: M Range Radar
Typical NPC Stats
Level: 1, +2 Int, Dex
MAC: 13 (Base 10, +2
Dex, +1 ½ level)
To Hit: +3 (+1 level, +2
Dex)
Pilot Check: +2 (+1 ½ level, +1
(+2 Dex, 0 Wis)/2)
Unarmed M1d2+2
Pod Bayonet M1d4+2, only usable
in Battler mode
Cannon Pod M1d6 per burst, S,
10 bursts, 2 extra clips, usable in all modes
12 Medium Missiles M1d10 (+2/missile
volley), M
Note:
Devas do have a pair of small retractable waldo utility arms imbedded in the
mecka’s arms.
Variant: Eagle Eye Radar Intercept Version
Has
a VL range radar dish on top and a second seat for a RIO (Radar Intercept
Officer). Cannot change out of fighter
mode unless the dish is jettisoned. A
squadron may be deployed with an Eagle Eye to provide radar support in the
field away from a ship or base. (Note:
This was in the movie and more cool, in my opinion, than a dedicated unarmed
radar plane.)
Armored Deva (Space fighter)
This
was an experimental Deva model was designed for heavy assault. It cannot fly in atmosphere and could only
waddle at best on land or on a deck, so it is solely a space mecka. It did have a successful (if unauthorized) test
deployment in combat and took out a Zee Observer Scout single-handedly. However, this action did highlight its
profound weakness in being very slow and cumbersome. It may as well have had a bulls eye painted
on it. The armor and missile package was
deemed a “waste of a perfectly good Deva,” by turning it into a
Battlemeck. The program was
discontinued. However, after this design
detour, more earnest work would begin on an upgraded Deva, the Super Deva.
Mecka HP: 25
(Cannot
transform with armor, but it can be jettisoned)
Mecka Armor Class: Base 12 + ½ level
Speed: Battler only M
space flight, S run
(If
armor is jettisoned, it reverts to normal Deva stats)
Sensors: M Range Radar
Typical NPC Stats
Level: 1, +2 Int, Dex
MAC: 13 (Base 12, +1 ½
level)
To Hit: +3 (+1 level, +2
Dex)
Pilot Check: +2 (+1 ½ level, +1
(+2 Dex, 0 Wis)/2)
Unarmed M1d2+2
Pod Bayonet M1d4+2
Cannon Pod M1d6 per burst, S,
10 bursts, 2 extra clips
40 Short Missiles M1d8 (+1/missile
volley), S
Super Deva (Air/Space fighter)
Perhaps
the most potent mecka designed by anyone in the Space Wars. (The Delta/Omega bomber has a bigger payload,
but is much less maneuverable.) The
Super Deva was beyond being a mere dogfighter and was deployed as a ship
killer. Its booster-aided speed could
easily wreak havoc on enemy formations and get inside fleet defensive fighter
screens.
Human
scientists had discovered early in creation of Proto-reactors that they
naturally created a nuclear damping field, which negated the use of fission and
fusion weapons. Late in the war,
scientists developed the Proto-warhead using Proto-fuel as the main
reactant. This worked on the same
destructive level as a nuke. The EMDF’s
only capital ship, the SDC-1, was equipped with massive ICBM launchers late in the
war to deliver the biggest Proto-warheads. The Super Deva as partly created to
deliver the smallest of the tactical warheads.
This
was a “save the human species” moment, where much of the Proto-fuel supplies of
the earth were thrown into the final battle with the Zee. The terrestrial Proto-Cannon consumed a
massive quantity during its only firing.
Thankfully, a large amount of Proto-fuel was recovered from destroyed
and crashed Zee ships. This would be
used to power the Proto-furnaces of the Earth Expeditionary Force armada and
send humanity into the stars. The Army
of the North Star, which succeeded the EMDF on earth, would reserve their
Proto-Warheads as ICBM’s and shipboard launchers in Space War II. The EEF found these weapons ineffective in tactical
use against the Hive and against their Dome force fields. They would be forced to seek more powerful
weapons in their war.
Mecka HP: 25
Mecka Armor Class: Base 10 + Dex
Bonus + ½ level
Speed: Fighter VF, Hover
S, Battler S run
(If
missile and booster pods are jettisoned, it reverts to normal Deva stats)
Sensors: L Range Radar
Typical NPC Stats
Level: 1, +2 Int, Dex
MAC: 13 (Base 10, +2
Dex, +1 ½ level)
To Hit: +3 (+1 level, +2
Dex)
Pilot Check: +2 (+1 ½ level, +1
(+2 Dex, 0 Wis)/2)
Unarmed M1d2+2
Pod Bayonet M1d4+2, only usable
in Battler mode
Cannon Pod M1d6, S, 10 bursts,
2 extra clips, usable in all modes
Dual Shoulder Cannons (optional in place
of a missile pod) M2d4, S, 10 bursts
20 Short Missiles (10 missiles each
in 2 pods) M1d8 (+1/missile volley), S
4 Heavy Missiles (2 missiles in each
forearm) M1d12 (+3/missile volley), L
6 Proto-Warhead Missiles (3 each wing)
M1d4x100 (+100/missile volley), L
(Note: These are basically tactical nukes, only
lacking a radiation signature. They are
not suitable for air-to-air combat between mecka.)
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