Difference between revisions of "Masamune"

Latest revision as of 16:34, 6 May 2005

This work is largely the authors own interpretation based on information from the Macross compendium, pre-existing stats, game-play and the authors translations of pertinent materials. See the references section(s) for details. The author advises the reader to confirm with his or her GM which stats are used in the reader’s game.

MBR-08 Mk I/II Masamune Stats

BACKGROUND

Development started in early 2004 based on speculation of combat with giant aliens coupled with experiences from the initial years of the UN Wars. The UN saw a need for a hand to hand capable unit with relatively light armament to supplement the Cheyenne in ground and ground to air based engagements against Anti-UN forces and giant aliens. They felt that the Destroid series were too slow and risked excessive collateral damage and the VF-1 program stalled by the hiccups in the thermonuclear reaction engine program and opted for a new design. An inexpensive design that utilized proven technologies in the MBR-04 Mk II Enhanced Destroid and the MBR-07 Mk II Spartan and the new technologies related to humanoid performance and maneuverability being developed and learned from concurrently in the VF-X-1 program.

The MBR-08 Mk I was the offspring of the program. The MBR-08 series used a leg, hip and torso structure that was totally different from the one used in the MBR-04 series of Destroids. Where the MBR-04 was designed with armour and raw strength in mind, the MBR-08 was designed with maneuverability first and foremost. The exchangeable weapons pack option both expanded the capabilities and investment in the MBR-08 and also for the MBR-04 Mk II, IV and VI designs. In addition, the MBR-08 series has lower maintenance requirements then other Destroids.

The MBR-08 Mk I was upgraded to the Mk II when it was deemed that having only a single pair of machineguns in the head unit was insufficient for their perceived role of shooting down enemy ordinance fired at the MBR-08. The first production units of the Mk II were just starting to roll off of the production line when Space War I started. Production ceased as the UN Spacy focused on producing the other, more powerful Destroids in anticipation of a ‘total war’ invasion.

Post SWI, the UNS initially focused on the other Destroid designs, particularly the MBR-04 Mk II, to supplement their defense and construction capabilities. With the Zentraedi riots and the ensuing UN Government mandate that all Zentraedi on Earth be micronized, there suddenly was a very large demand for macron sized humanoid construction and civil order vehicles. The MBR-04 Mk II and the MBR-07 Mk II Spartan were deemed to be too clumsy for the finer points of construction and the VF-1 too valuable to be taken off of interceptor and frontline combat duties. The UNS then reactivated the MBR-08 programme.

Thereafter, the MBR-08 performed admirably in construction, riot control, civil defense and the few active combat roles that it was assigned to. Only the UN Army and UN Marines purchased the Masamune en masse; the UN Army being the larger user, as there was a lot of commonality between the Masamune’s role on the battlefield and the role of the average grunt.

In the late 2040s and early 2050s, the MBR-08 Mk II is still being manufactured. Its prime users are colony defense forces who are looking for an inexpensive alternative to a VF to fill short range and point defense roles on the ground. The other prime users are civilian construction companies. To that end, a civilian version, stripped of all weaponry, is being produced and meeting excellent sales. Sadly, a high percentage of the Masamune Destroid fall into Anti-UN hands; probably due to its desirability as a low maintenance, inexpensive to operate and arm, combat battroid that doubles as an efficient labour robot.

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type: Masamune MBR-08 Mk II
Class: Main Battle Robot
Manufacturer: Viggers/Chrauler
Crew: One pilot wearing Tactical Life Support System.

Customer: UN Army and UN Marines.
Design Features: fully humanoid form for enhanced hand to hand, anti-giant combat. Exchangeable weapons pack with the MBR-08 Tomahawk series of Destroids.

MDC BY LOCATION:

NOTES:

¹ Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the mecha. The pilot will be automatically ejected from the doomed mecha before it explodes by the mecha's main computer.

SPEEDS:

RUNNING: 132 Kmph

LEAPING: 3.5 m high or 10 m long.

FLYING: 350 Kmph max speed in space.

STATISTICAL DATA:

HEIGHT: 14.9 m

WIDTH: 8.2 m

LENGTH: 5.1 m

WEIGHT: 26,700 kg

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: Equal to a P.S. of 60.

POWER PLANT: Kranss-Maffai MT808 thermonuclear reaction furnace developing 2800 bhp

AUXILLARY POWER PLANT: GE EM9G fuel generator rated at 450 kW

CARGO: Small compartment behind pilot's seat for personal belongings.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

Note: The weapons pack on the MBR-04 Mk IV/VI Tomahawk and the MBR-08 Mk I/II Masamune can be exchanged. This means that a MBR-04 Mk IV/VI could have the MBR-08 Mk I/II’s weapons numbered: 1,2, 4, 5 and 6 and the MBR-08 Mk I/II could have the MBR-04 Mk IV/VI’s weapons numbered: 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. This rarely occurs, however in cases of extreme duress, units of the UNSMC and UN Army will swap working components from battle damaged units to make one working Destroid out of two damaged units. This is one aspect of the MBR-04 Mk IV/VI and MBR-08 Mk I/II series that the users like and one of the reasons why the units are still employed roughly 50 years after their initial rollout.

1. BIFORS CLOSE-IN SELF-GUIDED ROCKET LAUNCHERS (2):

Located in either shoulder are two Rocket Launcher packs carrying short-range guided missiles for extra close-range destructive capability.

• PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault /Defense.
• SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
• RANGE: 8,000 m
• DAMAGE: 1D12x10 M.D.
• RATE OF FIRE: volleys of 1,2,4 or 6 missiles per launcher.
• PAYLOAD: 9 missiles per launcher, 18 missiles total.

2. ERLIKON ANTI-AIRCRAFT SELF-GUIDED MISSILES PACK:

Located above the right and left shoulder, the Erlikon Rocket pack contains all-purpose long-range (cruise type) missiles.

• PRIMARY PURPOSE: Tactical strikes on enemy fortifications.
• SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha.
• MISSILE TYPE: All-Purpose. Note: these are slightly different from the UN Armed Forces type.
• RATE OF FIRE: Volleys of 1,2,3,4 or 6 missiles. One volley counts as one attack.
• PAYLOAD: 6 missiles total.

3. RAMINGTON M-89 12.7MM AIR-COOLED MG (4):

Mounted in the head sensor unit, 2 per side. Used for Anti-Personnel, Anti-Aircraft and Anti-Mecha work

• PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-Personnel /Anti-Vehicle/ Anti-Aircraft
• SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-missile
• RANGE: 600 m
• DAMAGE: 1D4 MD per round, 2D6 short burst, 1D6x5 long burst or sprays. (Refer to VF gun pods for burst details.)
• RATE OF FIRE: 20 rounds per second.
• PAYLOAD: 300 rounds per gun (short burst is 10 r, long burst is 20 r.)

4. ASTRA 180MM GRENADE LAUNCHER:

Just below the midpoint of the torso and centrally mounted, is a 180 mm grenade launcher primarily used as an Anti-Personnel and Anti-Armoured Vehicle Weapon. The weapon has a 120º horizontal arc and 90º vertical arc of fire.

• PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-Personnel/Anti-Vehicle
• RANGE: 1,200 m
• DAMAGE: 1D8x10 M.D.
• RATE OF FIRE: 1 per melee
• PAYLOAD: 16 rounds

5. MAULER PBG-10 LIQUID-COOLED PARTICLE BEAM GUN POD:

This powerful hand carried particle beam cannon is capable of destroying some mecha with a single blast. Its prime weakness is its slow recharge rate (internal power supply and capacitors) and it’s overall fragility.

• PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault/Defense
• RANGE: 3,000 m
• DAMAGE: 2D8x10 +50 M.D.
• RATE OF FIRE: 1 per melee.
• PAYLOAD: Capacitor can hold a maximum charge of 2 blasts.

Note: the capacitor require 2 melee rounds to recharge 1 blast. Due to the limitations of this weapon, Mk II pilots opt to carry a gun pod instead.

6. HAND TO HAND COMBAT:

If necessary, the pilot of the Masamune can engage in melee combat rather than use a weapon. The Masamune, although not particularly agile when compared to the VFs, can execute most typical hand to hand combat moves, such as punches and kicks, rolling with impacts, etc.

DAMAGE:

• Swat: 1D4 M.D.
• Full Strength Punch: 1D4x10 M.D.
• Kick: 4D6 M.D.
• Body Flip/Throw: 2D6 M.D. (difficult, but well trained pilots :can do it.)
• Body Block/Tackle: 1D6 M.D.
• Stomp: 1D6x10 M.D. (only effective against small objects) Note that for some objects, they will be instantly destroyed.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE GJAGRAVAN VA

• AUTO-PILOT
• COMBAT COMPUTER W/HUD DISPLAYS: Era ii.
• EJECTOR SEAT and HOMING SIGNAL The ejector seat contains thrusters firing it high into the air before the parachute attached opens.
• EXTERNAL AUDIO PICKUP
• HEAT AND RADIATION SHIELDS
• HEADLIGHTS: mounted at the knee joint. 61 m.
• LASER TARGETING SYSTEM – but with a 320 Km range.
• LOUDSPEAKER
• OPTICS: INFRARED
• OPTICS: NIGHTVISION
• OPTICS: TELESCOPIC VISION
• OPTICS: THERMAL IMAGER
• RADAR 43-km range.
• RADIO/VIDEO COMMUNICATION Era i. (192 km)
• SELF-DESTRUCT
• STANDARD SURVIVAL KIT: Era iii.
• TACTICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM

COMBAT BONUSES FOR MASAMUNE TRAINING:

BASIC MASAMUNE COMBAT TRAINING

Basic training for non-pilot military personnel

• 1 attack per melee (plus those of the pilot). Add one additional action/attack at levels three, nine, and fifteen.
• +1 to strike.
• +1 to parry
• +1 to dodge
• +1 to roll with a punch or fall with an impact, reducing damage by half.
• Critical strike same as pilot's hand-to-hand.
• Body block/tackle/ram - 1D6 M.D. plus a 50% chance of knocking an opponent down, causing him to lose initiative and one attack that melee round.

ADVANCED MASAMUNE COMBAT TRAINING

Advanced training for pilots specializing in the MBR-08 Mk II.

• 2 attacks per melee (plus those of the pilot).
• Add one additional action/attack at levels three, six, eleven, and fifteen.
• +2 to strike
• +3 to parry
• +3 to dodge
• +3 to roll with a punch or fall with an impact, reducing damage by half.
• Critical strike same as pilot's hand-to-hand.
• Body block/tackle/ram - 1D6 M.D. plus a 50% chance of knocking an opponent down, causing him to loose initiative and one attack that melee round.

REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN Palladium Books Game Engine and MDC Rules
Design layout adapted from DAVE DEITRICH ([email protected])
Macross Perfect Memory: Pg. 241
Masamune Stats
RPG Stats: Robotech Spartan (Tomahawk) Stats