Ankle Support Equipment Review

Things you should know about this Chassis Equipment right off the bat are it is for 55-70 ton mecha, will cost you 213 Ferrite, 153 Bioptics, and 53 Crystal (no bulk purchase option). It features a dodge of 8, two times damage of 6%, and a Shield of 2.  In proper combination with other equipment for  mid range mecha this can be quite the handy tool to have. Many mecha already carry the times two ability and to have more to add to your overall percentage is always a good thing.

The dodge is alright, as there are other pieces featuring higher dodge functions but in a pinch it will do nicely. The shielding is just there really at a 2 it really doesn't offer much one way or another unless you are able to stack multiples of this on one mecha. Given there are limited slots on the mid ton range mecha I would say stock up on something bigger and quicker then augment that with one or two of these. They are not bad pieces of equipment but there are better out there for mechas in this weight class. All in all it really depends on your preference and play style as to if this is a good choice for you and your mechas.

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

The Siege of Cogwerk Port Day 2

This just in - Cogwerk Port remains under attack by the group known only as "The Sinners". Since arriving early in the A.M. yesterday they have taken total control of the ports themselves and made off with untold amounts of niodes estimated only in the billions. Since they started with mainly Freons, Cindrons, Infernos, Severs, Gigus and Frigis mecha their ranks have been further reinforced by Smilidons, Bishops, Torrents, and Ammonites. Combined forces of planetary security, Shogunate and Hememony forces have been held at bay since their arrival. Calls have gone out to all major clans for help, but some who have tried to respond thus far have been blasted as soon as they come through the gates.

Nearby Galactic Military forces have been dispatched only to have their drop ships blasted out of the atmosphere as soon as they got within range of the invading forces high powered cannons. This is a well organized surgical strike the likes of which none have seen before. Speculation remains high as to who is exactly behind this group and what they could possibly need all those niodes for when it is apparent they already have an army at their fingertips. From the few mechas that have been brought down they have revealed nothing as the pilots in question have committed suicide rather than be held for questioning.

This reveals only that those who make up this group are dedicated to whatever cause or persons they serve and fear nothing even death itself. The planet is considered quarantined, and under emergency military protocols any seeking to arrive from out of system will be arrested on sight under suspicion of being with this group. Tensions are high and fighting is non stop as each group seeks to drive back the other for control of the area. We will keep you updated as events unfold...stay tuned.

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

Force Ion Beam Weapon Review

The Force Ion Beam we all know it, the weapon you get for watching vids (if you can get them) otherwise it costs 50 ferrite, 50 Bioptics, and 4 niodes. Minimum level requirement of 5 and you can buy them in bulk 5 for 16 niodes. They have a Damage of 8, a speed of 102 and a weapon ability of 5 slow.

Some folks get the vids and sell these for Niodes at a 1 to 1 ratio. These are decent weapons for those just starting out, but honestly they grow old fast and you out grow them quickly. There are many lasers on the market that have this one beat in fire power as well as ability. As you reach higher levels and unlock more equipment slots they may see a brief second life with amplified ability through equipment. Honestly this isn't a bad weapon for the starting pilot, and you may even want to keep one handy should a mechathalon come along that uses low end weapons. But  ultimately these are good for resale and really about it. They are  here to whet your appetite for niode weapons, the question is how hungry are you?

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

The Siege of Cogwerk Port Day1

Breaking news - Today at 6:05 A.M. Standard Galactic Time Cogwerk Ports came under attack by a group calling itself The Sinners. They hit hard and fast pouring out of every gate in the Port and took the shipping yards by storm using shock and awe tactics. No one as of yet is clear as to where these invaders came from or even who they are representing. Planetary security forces were caught unaware during shift change as thousands of mecha came in through the gate systems. The invaders utilized mainly elemental style mecha capitalizing on flame and ice damage to rip their way through the ports into the main city areas.

Security forces mobilized as best as possible under the conditions at hand and were able to hold the line just out side of Cogwerk City proper. Although before they were able to push back the invaders hundreds had already died and thousands were hospitalized. It is estimated that millions of credits in damage had been done to the port proper, and even billions in niodes had already been taken.

Calls have been put out to  all clans in a desperate plea for help, as well as to the Shogunate and the Hegemony at the time of this report. Those already on planet have joined with the security forces in holding the attackers at bay. The Port  itself is now considered occupied and a Militarized Zone. All civilians are asked to report to their nearest meteor shelter areas and follow all instructions from planetary emergency services.

More on this development as it breaks....

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Yeti's Bane Weapon Review

The Yeti's Bane is a common crystal Ice thrower weapon which will cost you 2,200 Ferrite, 2,200 Bioptics and 53 Crystal or buy 5 at once for  212 crystal. It has a speed of  99, a damage of 47 and special ability of  freeze at five percent. This has a minimum level requirement of 55 to buy but is sometimes found as a prize weapon in some Wars, Raids, and the like. There are stronger ice weapons available to be sure but for its level and how easy it is to get a hold of it is a fairly decent addition to your arsenal.

Of course equipment will come into play as to how you wish to equip this weapon or with what mecha you put it on, but buy and large this is made for the ice thrower mecha. Some have huge bonuses if outfitted right to freeze and do extra ice damage with their build so taking all that into account when outfitting your mecha is always a good idea. With that said this is a very useful weapon to have and you run the possibility of stopping your enemy cold. Equip wisely and it should treat you very well as long as you have a use for it and before you out grow it for bigger badder weapons in the ice category.

 









Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

Vadhar Weapon Review

This is one of the big boy guns with a minimum level requirement of 90 how ever people below that level may have access to these guns as prize weapons from various Tournaments, Wars, Raids, etc. Normally it will cost you 2,000 Ferrite, 1,200 Bioptics and 56 Niodes, or buy in bulk by getting 5 at once for 224 Niodes. It's weapon ability is three times damage at twenty eight percent, as well as precision of eight.

This is a slug thrower from hell plain and simple it boasts a damage of one hundred and five, speed of one hundred and seven. Couple this on you favorite solid ammo mecha and watch it blow holes through your enemy. Of course the precision can be added to for more effect with cock pit slots. Basically with the right gear in play this is a seldom miss weapon and it has a very high percentage for the times three damage. For your money(or niodes) this is a weapon to have in your arsenal and will prove itself time and time again.

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

Creation Of The Mechapede

Dr. Lucas Calbre was a long respected mecha engineer, who dabbled in all forms of mecha weaponry, equipment and design overhauls. Unfortunately his career was cut short with his best and last creation the Mechapede. He had based the design off a native Illyrian insect which resembled the common millipede. The design specifications stated it would be overall as long as 12 Torrents standing front to back in a straight line, with four compartmentalized sections. Each section would house a vast array of weapons, engines, and multiple actuators which were used to make this mechanical monstrosity run at above normal parameters for any mech in production to date.

The main body of the mecha was your standard titanium/ferronite mix but what made it unique was for each section of armored plating it has miniature anti gravity housing units used to hold in place a new form of armor forged from dark matter. The anti gravity units also helped to add buoyancy to the mech which made it lighter and faster than any mecha that large had a right to be. It was powered by multiple Ion Vortex engines which created small Ion storms within the core of the engine allowing for much more power that could in turn be directed to whatever portions of the mech the pilot decided. The combined power of those multiple engines running in tandem with the full anti gravity housing units made this particular mech a speed demon in an as of yet unheard of one hundred ton mecha class.

The firepower was likewise devastating with  multiple Archfiends, Big Berthas, Tandem Bombs, Vadhars, and Harmonic Disruptors per each compartmentalized section. Should a section take too much damage it could simply be jettisoned from the main body of the mecha. Likewise if it were wished the pilots could be doubled up with one for the "head" section and one for the "tail" to break in half during combat to face two smaller but equally deadly mecha at one time. Because of being designed with such a separation in mind the mech has multiple communication suites that are state of the art, boasts multiple A.I. interface points, and has double your normal niobium nerve bundles hard wired into the machine. It also houses advanced targeting computers, tactical displays, and even a V.R. interface mode for fast and easy piloting.

It was the good Doctors last creation due to the fact that he only built one prototype, but upon preparing to power it up and give it a full test his lab was attacked by an unknown pirate force. They took everything, all his plans, data, the prototype itself, and only left a small crater behind them which the Doctor was dead center in. The current whereabouts of this fierce creation is currently unknown, the intentions of the pirate force are likewise unknown. All that is known is that every shred of work associated with this project has vanished, and many do not feel safe in the higher echelons of the military and political circles knowing that this one completed creation is out there in unknown hands, and with unknown intentions, or targets.

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

HyperDart Weapon Review by Sean Laverty

The HyperDart projectile weapon system is not available to the general public, it is only offered as a prize. That being said, it still is one of the most sought after weapons for mid range mecha. With a damage of 32 it packs a decent punch, and with a speed of 109 it is a definite contender for the first shot fired!

What makes the HyperDart so coveted, is its bonuses! With a 2X damage bonus of 10% there's a good chance of double damage with each shot! Add to that a trample bonus of 13% this makes the HyperDart deadly to not just its original target, but anyone unlucky enough to be standing behind! Of all the projectile weapons, only the Ferrite Storm has a higher trample rating!!

In my humble opinion, the HyperDart is best equipped on the Oggun mecha chassis. The Ogguns bonuses dovetail nicely with the HyperDart, which makes me wonder if this weapon system was created with the Oggun in mind!!

In conclusion I can only say, the HyperDart is an exceptional mid-range weapon system that will not disappoint!!! If you ever get the opportunity to lay your hands on one... Win as many of these as you can, hold on tight and don't let go!

Submitted by Sean Laverty #600987

Holmes Mecha Review by Sean Laverty

The Holmes is a 35 ton workhorse for the lower level player. It costs a very reasonable 1575 ferrite, 1050 bioptics and 70 crystal. A sturdy, laser based mecha, it comes armed with 4 Cornerian Ion laser weapons.While this isn't an overwhelming amount of firepower, by the time you have upgraded the mecha to the level at which you are allowed to purchase it (16) you will have 6 weapon slots to work with, as well as 2 chassis slots, a cockpit slot and the engine slot.

As usual, most pilots (myself included) strip out the stock weapons load and replace it with the strongest lasers they have been able to buy/win. It is an excellent performer for the 16-30 level player, that you can't have too many of, early in the game!

The Holmes is based off of the Red Ant/ Shocklite frame, but carries almost double the armor. This makes it quite tough for a 35 tonner.  There are also quite a few more options in equipment for the Holmes than its lighter relatives. Enough so that this mecha is worth keeping in your stable for quite a while, especially for KOTM events.

Over all, this is a mecha that any early level player will find success with. In my opinion, this is one frame that certainly delivers a great bang for its buck, and is worthy of any early players line up!!!

Submitted by Sean Laverty#600987

Rent Party Winners

As many of you know or illustrious Dev Nick Shapiro held a rent party for the servers, as such people who got niodes during this got entered into a contest to win even more, along with everyone getting a bonus 50 niodes on top of what they purchased

So here they are your rent party winners!!!

Rent Party Raffle Winners:
1st Prize: 4500 Niodes Craig Vannes
2nd Prize: 2000 Niodes Derek Hussher
3rd Prize: 1000 Niodes Boba Bob
4th Prize: 750 Niodes David Guipre
5th Prize: 500 Niodes David Campbell
All other entrants: 50 Niodes Everyone else who bought Niodes this weekend. 

Congrats to all  enjoy those niodes and spend them wisely.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Prince Among Men, Phoenix Among Ashes

 Mission Log : Day 1

I was born Noketsuna Miso, son to the Lord Minister Noketsuna Takage of the Shogunate. I was tested in my youth and found to possess the ability to mesh with niode driven machinery at the highest level. This was the path to power for peasants who used it to become mecha pilots, either for the national forces, or the independent mech forces, either of the small independents, or the great warrior Clans.

For those of my noble birth, the ability was used to mesh with the great thinking engines that controlled commerce between the stars, the great banking machines. Fighting was a dirty and risky business left to condottierie, the ronin, the mercenary scum who fought and died for the noble houses, for the great merchant cartels, and for the governments that held together civilization. These barbarians were a necessary evil, like trash collectors, prostitutes and lawyers; fulfilling a function that all wished mankind would move beyond, but the wise knew was still required.

They were not trusted. They controlled the military force of the galaxy. Less than one in a thousand could pilot, less than one percent of them could survive training and combat long enough to become dangerous. The fate of billions was decided by the battles of relative handfuls who had no stake beyond “honor” in the outcome. Nobles and merchants alike understood honor to be a word that meant whatever you planned on doing, however you justified it. Warrior codes aside; who could have power and not want control? No, the Clans were obviously seeking power over the nobles, merchants, and governments, and I was to learn how.

I had been trained for years by our own household guard, and would be outfitted with the finest mecha. Normally a junior officer would begin his career with a Warhorse and two Red Ants. Obviously it would be beneath my dignity as a noble to start with so poor a showing, so I had been given an Axe Bot command vehicle, and replaced the lesser Red Ants with Warhorses. My victory in the lower level conflict should quickly demonstrate my worth, and attract the Clan’s notice.

Day 30

My men train daily, and I join them for battles. My first battles were disappointing, as my Axebot performed poorly, missing several shots, and suffering damage. I have been forced to move to the second line, and let my corporal direct the squad from the front.

Day 35

My men are openly mocking me, in battle when commands are given, I am the only one who is slow to react, I cannot process the information on my screens as fast as they seem to, and have had to shut down two of my datafeeds just to keep some sort of control over what is going on. I think I will have to join my men in daily training, as their Warhorses seem to be faster and stronger than my Axebot, as if they grow in tune based on how much they are used by you.

Day 40

We have been accepted by Clan Phoenix. They are a young Clan, and not terribly sophisticated. Their internal security networks are no match for the software in my implants and I have put data taps in all their internal communications. Details of their plots will soon by in our hands.

Day 45

Corporal Raichu is dead. As I have been splitting my time between scanning Clan data for plots against the Shogunate, and running the lance, I had not had time to address our new allotment. With my promotion I rated another pilot slot, but I had not yet brought another pilot in, as the mission could soon be over. We were attacked by members of a rival Clan who nursed a grudge from the past Faction War, and of our Clan Forces, my lance was deemed weakest, and suffered strong and repeated attack. Raichu is dead. He is being buried now, the Clan at all levels has given us support and conducted savage attacks to avenge him. I feel uneasy that they react to his death as to one of their own family, showing loyalty rare in the Noble houses, and impossible for honor less hirelings. They act like the samurai drama of my childhood fantasy, not like money grubbing mercenaries.

Day 60

I have been training hard, no more of my men will die for this mission. I owe them that much. The Clan has poured every effort into rebuilding us, and furnished us with new mecha, the Shocklite of the corporal, and warhorses of my men have been replaced by Hoplites. I have sold the old mecha and seen that my Hoplites are equipped with the best weapons we have. I have taken on several new pilots from the Phoenix training program. They are eager young gaijin, buying the myth of the noble warrior Clans. They give me loyal service, so I will protect them as I would one of my own household. I wish I could find evidence of the Clans treachery so I could return home. I sometimes forget why I am here.

Day 80

Tensions have escalated. The Blue Octet Dragons have been retained by Cogwork planets to assure their control over the nexus around Vupa 6. There have been a series of attacks, they claim we are responsible, we know they are. This is the sign I was looking for, there is treachery afoot. The mission end is near.

Day 88

We have been fighting strike after strike, the battles have been intense,we have lost some of our people. Cpt Jensen was killed, and Colonel Powers has asked that I step up, and take both half of his survivors, but his place in the command team. I liked Jensen, Blue Octet claims not to be involved in the strike, but we saw the bodies, whoever hit them had over a hundred mecha. Only a powerful Clan could have done it, and only Phoenix and the Blue Octet Dragons are here. Father, if the mission end comes today, I will not answer. Captain Jensen was no mere Ronin, no sell-sword. He was a friend, and he will be avenged.

Day 91

Ambush! Thank the ancestors we had the bigger mecha of Jensens survivors. Only the armor of the Imechs bought us time to fall back on the gate at Vupa 6. Father, we have been betrayed. It is NOT the clans that are fomenting atrocities against the Noble and Merchant holdings, the pirates from Vupa 6 are strong! There are hundreds of them. I got a call through to Colonel Phoenix. I told him we hold the gate. He is coming. His orders are simple. “You are Phoenix, you will fight until you fall, and when you rise again, your coming will burn clean the universe”. Father, if I die this day in service to Clan Phoenix, I will do so upholding the oaths I lied to take, as agent of House Noketsuna, and the Glorious Shogunate. One way or another, I die this day.

Day 92

Never have I known such pride, such despair, such fear. From the fog they came, wave after wave. They came howling and laughing like beasts. Their missiles were on us, shaking our hulls like an earthquake, but we gave back from our cannon. I give thanks to the ancestors that I had done what you forbade, father, and wasted our houses Niodes on these throw-away warriors, these sell-swords. Outnumbered many times over, my body-guards snarled their Dual Gattlings and flashed their Laserizers while my own Imech “Earth Dragon” roared out her Advanced Fury Racks, to answer twofold the strikes against her. We burned father, we fell one by one, to buy time, and the next rank strode over our fallen forms to buy us time to crawl or be dragged back through the gate. Three ranks father, three ranks advancing against five hundred foe, knowing they would be cut down by screaming madmen, but unwilling to leave their brethren to the fire. These condottieri, these hire-swords, these mercenaries; by the gods father, if I fall, let it be leading men and women such as this!

Day 93

We held father, we held. Come the dawn the pirates are broken. The Blue Octet Dragons were here first to relieve us. Our enemies accepted our word alone, and have rearmed our mecha, as if two Clans would end a feud based on one officer’s unsupported word. As if honor alone was enough between them. I am lost. My men and women are being fed, healed, and rearmed by our former enemies, while they pass word to our Clan Phoenix of our “glorious victory”. My people celebrate, even those of us who know it is a lie. What honor have I left?

Day 94

I have broken my swords before my men, I have confessed my treachery to them, and asked that they make a place in their Clan for those of my men who served both me and Phoenix both with loyalty. Let my disgrace wash away theirs. There is no treachery in Phoenix save that which I brought. The Clans are no threat to the Noble houses. They do not seek power as we do, and we do not see honour as they do. I have come to see honour as well, and know mine is lost. I see Colonel Phoenix now, a traitor to his clan, and a failure to my house.

Day 95

Lord Noketsuna Miso died today. His broken swords were given to the fire. His proud topknot was shorn off by Colonel Phoenix, and given to the cleansing flame. My name and its treachery was taken from me, and given to the flame. We are Phoenix. From the flame we rise again, and I have risen. Father, your son is dead. Know me now, Captain Phoenix Miso, Clan Phoenix.

The warrior Clans are no threat to us, but our protection. They lust for wealth and power, for glory and fame, but on their own terms. The only wealth that counts is crystal and niode to feed their great machines, the only power they want is that which they wield through their weapons or win from their peers. They do not care about our planets, our gold, our titles, our lands. They would look upon the throne of the Emperor, or the Shogun’s own command computer as a sentence, trapped away from their machines, and not a prize to be won.

They do not live in the world of titles, money and power, they live in their own galaxy. A Mecha Galaxy. They will fight our wars, and keep them far from our fields and cities, they will bleed and die to settle our trade routes, and border disputes, and thank us for the opportunity. They will keep our society alive, so that they may burn like stars in the heavens. They burn for us, so brightly, as they fall, As I will fall, one day.

I came as a Prince among Men, now I rise a Phoenix among Ashes.

Submitted by John T. Mainer #28840

Fides Mecha Review

One of the spider influenced designed 50 ton mecha the Fides will cost you 1,600 Ferrite, 1,200 Bioptics and 100 Niodes. Also this mecha has been seen as a prize in some raids also every now and again in certain boss fights. It features a Projectile Damage build bonus as well as times two damage, with a secondary ability falling in under  Missile damage bonuses. This is a decent little mecha really. It acquires speed and damage as it levels up as well as expansion slots so the potential for this mecha is actually pretty great.

As with most mecha equip it well and it will treat you well on the battlefield. Equipment slots can be tuned to personal preference in the form of what damage and bonuses you wish it to have, and it excels with a couple different forms of weapons right off the bat. Stick some niode launchers and slug throwers on this little number and watch it cut loose. Again a good mecha to have handy for lower tonnage tourneys you will see a mixture of play styles and pilots utilize them to devastating effect on the field.

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

Oggun Mecha Review

A 50 ton main staple of most formations the Oggun costs 2,500 Ferrite, 1,600 Bioptics, and 120 crystals be aware it does have a minimum level requirement of 24 attached to it. The build itself features trample damage and times two damage. Many use it as a slug thrower and it excels as such but as with any mecha the proper equipment  makes this utilize basically any weapon you may wish to outfit it with. The trample is especially nice at the higher levels where it gains more of a percentage chance to go off and cause havoc amongst enemy lines.

You will see these mecha all across the game. From the newly minted 24th level player to the old vet of the game these prove their value time and time again especially with limited weight tournaments. These mecha are dependable and very solid overall in stats. Yes they are of the lower tonnage variety, however that by no means excludes them from playing in the big leagues. These are fan favorites on the field and close to many pilots hearts. Equip them well with the right weapons build upon the already there ability and fill their expansion slots well and you will have a very impressive mecha in your hanger.

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

Ballista Mecha Review

The crystal answer to the niode missile launcher the Rook is the Ballista, it is an 80 ton missile launching monster that will cost you 15,000 Ferrite, 11,000 Bioptics, and 320 crystals. Of course its primary ability is dealing out extra missile damage, but it also comes equipped with a starter laser shield, a potential for freeze, a slightly bigger projectile shield and a crit-kill capability in the build itself of course unlocked by leveling it up. To be fair these aren't the fastest shooting or moving mechas out of the box when you buy them.

With that said however the speed can be improved upon by the engine slots it will gain as it levels it will probably never win any races but it can be made to go fast enough to be a real pain in your foes exhaust port. It does sport ample chassis and cockpit slots as you level it up which make it a potentially deadly mecha. Just make sure you center in on the equipment that helps provide bonuses to its primary weapon and you will be styling. Some may shy from missile heavy mechas due to the inherent lack of speed in the weapon itself, but as with all mechas a smart pilot knows you can outfit them with many other things than just what they were originally solely designed for.

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

Inferno Mecha Review

The highly valued Inferno is a 70 ton burn machine as the name implies which will cost you 5,000 Ferrite, 3,000 Bioptics, and 145 niodes.  Alternatively it can also be gained through the mission Boss Tory if you are lucky enough to pry one from her in completion of the boss fight. It centers of course on Fire damage, allows for splash as a mecha ability, and also gives times two and three damage modifiers. Of course all previously mentioned capabilities will come and make themselves known with leveling of the mecha.

Many pilots utilize these across their formations from mid range minor leagues to heavy hitting old pros. It can be complemented with the vast array of fire enhancing equipment available and can make rather solid use out of the slots it gains for equipment with levels. This is a shock and awe mecha to be sure. If the burn hits right not only do you get damage across multiple rounds on a mecha but eventually it may even shut down when facing one of these bright red monsters.  Also there are plenty of fire weapons of both crystal and niode variety to choose from so options on just what to outfit one with are indeed many. Honestly this is a solid mecha all the way around with awesome battle field potential. No matter how you acquire one just be sure you you do!

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

Triax: The Lost Colony

Triax is unique among colonies for being the only planet with a single, unified government controlling the entire globe. This arrangement is from the colony’s establishment during the earliest days of gate travel.

There were still many misunderstandings of gate technology at the time, especially the capacity for self-repair. During the planet Hermione’s colonization, its side of the gate suffered an accident which stopped gate travel. With neither side able to communicate, both sides went to work trying to fix the problem.

Unbeknownst to anyone involved in the rescue efforts, each subsequent patch actually exacerbated the damage, stalling the repair systems. Theories of the day were in endless supply but slow to implement, and when a new patch was ready, nobody checked to see if the gate was working again before applying the latest ‘fix’.

It just so happened that the colony was also subject to the bad luck of poor timing. The self-repair process had been discovered back on the parent side of Alpha Centauri (now known as the well-traveled Centauri Hub). But, when they went to activate the Hermione gate, it was after the colonials had damaged theirs yet again with the latest hare-brained idea. On Centauri, it was assumed the colony gate was a total loss and it was shut down.

On the Hermione side, colonials set to work with survival while the best minds worked on reestablishing contact. The world was readily habitable, plants taking to verdant soil maintained by the local wild-life. Many local plants and animals were discovered to be edible and sometimes quite tasty.

The colony grew and thrived. The ineffectual repairs to the gate continued. After three generations, tales of old Earth and her gate colonies were mere bedside stories. The leaders of Hermione voted to give up on the gate and accept that they were cut off from the rest of humanity.

Centuries passed. The Colony expanded. Governments changed in the various cycles of power until a world-wide civil war created the latest government, the Republic of Triax. More of a class-stratified oligarchy, it has remained in power with an interesting mix of illusory freedom for the masses and cunning indoctrination through its public education system. But, its grip over the world wasn’t yet complete. Small pockets of resistance still remained, and they were gaining influence. To the leaders, it seemed they were starting to lose ground, until one special day.

The gate opened and a small, belligerent force came through, breaking generations of galactic isolation. The hostile attitude of the clan trying to stake a claim to the world stirred the nationalistic pride indoctrinated into the entire Triax populace, and the government finally won control of the whole world by the invasion of an unknown outside threat. They mobilized their armies and crushed the aggressors by sheer overwhelming numbers.

Survivors were interrogated, then allowed to go back, given a warning about the scope of the people’s resolve and their nation’s capacity. What was supposed to be a deterrent to other would-be conquerors turned out to be a challenge that other clans would quickly undertake.

Raids now seem to be a constant event for the Triax gate. Reports have come back of the region on the Triax side being fortified and turned into a giant killing zone. Bunkers show signs of hardening against nuclear attacks – an early tactic of some clans to clear a beachhead in the sea of seemingly endless conventional troops.

However, not all gate travel to Triax has been violent. Traders have managed to get passed the huge blockade, seeking new markets to ply their wares. Some have been rebuffed. Some have been welcomed warily. It is through their efforts that the colony’s history has become public in the last half century. They’ve even brought back rumors of an extensive search for other gates on planet Hermione. So far only one other has been found, and where it links is a highly kept state secret that no amount of goods or money can extract.

On the flip side, Triax has sent its own emissaries through the gate to explore the galaxy beyond. Mostly they come in the form of Duelists leading a small entourage of scribes and other researchers. But, these seem to be few in number.

So far, the Triax gate is a choke point, with focus of the Triax armies on one side, and the limited capacity of gate travel and the societies styled off it on the other, making it a very tough nut to crack.

Submitted by Ben Parker# 712090

Pilots Of The Chaos Gate

Johnny Applebee

A.k.a. - 'Appleseed'

John Applebee is the epitome of a thrill-seeker. Having come up from a poor back-ground, he has a country charm that has earned him the moniker 'Appleseed'. Johnny is the oldest Mech Jock to journey through the Chaos Gate. Others have been through the gate multiple times but eventually met their end. Johnny has always managed to return. He intends to be the one with the most trips through the gate, a record he already holds. He still keeps going through, knowing that there might be someone, someday, who could outdo his current record. In spite of the horrors, he has seen as many wonders, and this keeps him coming back, time and again.


Benjamin Disraeli

A.k.a. - 'Lone Star'

Benjamin Disraeli is ex-royalty. His clan and holdings were conquered by a much larger faction. The elements were absorbed into the clan, including Benjamin, but he and other members chafed under the new rules. Eventually he and his fellow dissenters were kicked out.

Benjamin found a new start at the Chaos Gate. Having heard rumors of worlds that could barely stand up to some small Mech parties, he quickly found someone who would back him with a Mech. He would sometimes mention in confidence a desire to start a new kingdom on a world away from the clans. These confidants didn't mention anything until the day he didn't return.

His entire scouting party never came back at the scheduled rendezvous. Most believed it was another hostile world. However, later investigation showed that his last party consisted entirely of old friends, including his fiance. It is speculated Ben found his promised land. Unless the gate recycles to that world, nobody will ever know if he has started his whispered kingdom, or met some grisly demise.

Submitted by Ben Parker#712090

An Opinion Piece By John T. Mainer

Honesty, loyalty, and fun. These are words to enjoy internet gaming by. I will be honest, I have an Alt. The joys of the crystal economy being what they are, I need to split my play between the two or I end up having to camp (and I like playing), or I can’t buy goodies and upgrade my mechs when I level up.

I am John T Mainer (legal name, rare on the internet) and Bolverk Borson, which is an Asatru in-joke as it is the name (translated meaning Evil Worker) that Odin took when he went among his enemies to steal knowledge and power. Having Alts means you can play pirates when you want, enjoy different challenges and different play styles, and play against different people.
Now comes Clan War.

Here is the thing, myself, my wife, my daughters, and each of our alts (yes we all have one) are members of the same Clan, and fight hard and loyally for that Clan. That seemed obvious to me that if you had an alt you would be in the same Clan, and I know a number of our Smurf Allies and other faction allies from other Clans identified themselves and their alts when they were joining up, to make sure they all going to make in one or another of our Factions. This is good, we want to be able to play hard, on our own, and on our alts, with the knowledge that we are all pulling together in common cause.

Not everyone feels this way. I found one of our own Faction, who was a lower level Alt of a faction we were fighting in the war. His record for us was, poor. He gave up a number of defensive victories. Now normally you attribute that to people being tired or stubborn, and not knowing when to quit, but when you realize he is literally playing both sides of the war, you begin to think it is not an accident, that perhaps this series of losses is not luck of battle but sabotage.

Wow. This is a video game people, but the person behind those choices is still you. We are our deeds, our choices, and their perception by others. If you have multiple Alts in a Clan war, you should make sure they are fighting on the same side. If you have a persona in Div 1 and Div 3 (and hey, why not) div 5, there is no appearance of misdoing. If you have two in Div 4, on two competing teams, people are going to wonder, and rightly so, if you are playing the game with us, or playing a game on us.

This is my personal opinion, and should not be taken as a policy of this publication, or the game developers.












 Submitted by John T Mainer#28840 Defenders of Bunny (Smurf Legion Faction)

A.L.T.S. A Cautionary Tale

In the year 3301 Mecha Drone Industries tired of its Military and security contracts sought to take on the private sector. Their vision was immortality through advanced technologies, they hired the best scientific minds of both the Shogunate and the Hegemony to see their vision come to fruition. What they finally created after many failed tests, almost bankrupting the company, and many changes to both the internal board as well as marketing structure were the A.L.T.S. (Artificial Life Technology Systems).

The idea was simple to create a miniaturized mecha drone in the shape and form of the human purchasers choosing, whom upon death would be able to download into the drone and live out his or her life in a never aging robotic body. The reality however was and still is a nightmare. First adapted to military uses the A.L.T.S. seemed to perform well. They mimicked the capabilities, knowledge and intelligence of the donor to become the perfect simulacrum of the individual. The problem was once the person died they did not download into the mecha body. They still had perfect copies of the individual  up till the time the A.L.T.S. were manufactured but any gained knowledge or experience beyond that from the original individual was forever lost.

The nightmare started after the company closed its doors due to the failed project they had wrapped so much of their time and money in. Certain scientists were re contracted into the private  sector as well as the black markets governed by mercs and pirates. It was there the technology evolved into what we know today.

The construction of the A.L.T.S. are fairly simple the person wanting one pays a small fortune in credits and niodes to have a body built with a ferronite skeletal structure, micronized niobium weave nervous system and the central core processor. They choose the external look which is is comprised of synth skin, hair and fiber, then down load their consciousness into the new creation. The problem starts there. With each new download the pilot in question looses a little more reaction time, a little more skill, and above all else more intelligence, until they are simply a hollow shell. They have divided their life, intelligence, piloting skill and combat experience so many times amongst their own army of A.L.T.S. they literally loose any concept of who they once were or what they were capable of.

Now A.L.T.S. are rampant throughout the galaxy. Pilots are signing up for the procedure to produce record amounts to either bolster their own clan numbers, spy on rival clans or even tilt the system in local mecha tourneys simply to reap rewards they can in truth never personally enjoy. They short cut their way through battles and onto record stats at every opportunity. They are becoming more and more common as newer pilots and even old pros who tire of the endless combat seek to correct mistakes of the past. They are a plague on honest and true pilots everywhere. Take a good long look at your fellow clan members are they A.L.T.S.  or are they real? Where do you draw the line in your bid for power? Do you want glory or honest victory? Those answers can only be found within and none can decide for you. Just know that they are out there, they do pose a threat to the true individual pilot and should be shown no quarter on the battle field should you find one.

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

Repel The Wicked

'Nothing compares to this', the young lieutenant thought as his Sever tore through the first ranks of the attacking pirate craft. He gunned the engines and his ice-white monster surged heavily to the left, dodging a volley of projectile fire. As it leveled out his fire-control network pulsed and the scream of a flavian spear cracked the night. The attacking Holmes, clearly battle-worn and painted an unfamiliar deep blue, reeled and slew backwards. The blast from the lethal armament tore the upper section of the enemy's cockpit to pieces, the ragged edges smoked and twisted, and, to the trained eye, the splashed remains of the aggressor combatant were laminated against the rear of the pilot's drive position.

This engagement had been running for over an hour now. The pirates had struck from nowhere. Nothing had hinted at their presence, and their opening salvos had crippled the leading guard's Cindron instantly.

The lieutenant, a mercenary officer who's battle-collective were, at the time, under the employ of Barbaris Calthorne, a wealthy commodity merchant, had been tasked with ensuring the safe escort of freight craft across the perilous wastes of Nanaaran, Novum Dolorum's largest moon. There were to be 40 such shipments to a mining outpost in the northern-most hemisphere. Because of the terrain and sheer size of the core supply ship they had to land a vast 400 Earth miles from the site and make the journey from there.
The initial deep range bio-scans had offered up nothing. Usually they could be as close as 95% reliable,showing up the faintest signatures of concealed bandit pilots well in advance of arrival at their position.

There had been zero reports on this run and, even though the opportunistic bandits would generally chance their arm for the rich rewards it could offer, it was perplexing as to why there had been nothing to indicate before the first shots were heard.

The mystery would have to be placed on the back burner for the moment. There were hostile mechs pounding in from all sides. Nothing much bigger than the Holmes class so far but such raids could throw up the odd nasty surprise.

The lieutenant forged ahead, scanning the incoming attackers for anything that might indicate the raider's leader. To his right, one of his soldiers unleashed a barrage from his T10 racks. The missiles lit up the sky in front, and there was a blinding explosion of metal and phosphorescence as the volley forked and made immediate scrap of a pair of bandit Shocklites.

"Sir" the com-link spat, "I have a bead on what appears to be their commander". The lieutenant peered through the smoke, blinking to regain his night vision. "Identify mark trooper", he requested. "Check my fire sir" the pilot responded, and unleashed a rain of ferrite rounds at a point to the lieutenant's 10 o'clock. The officer glanced across and activated his auto-targeting system towards the area indicated.

There it was. The surprise in the bran-tub. An Inferno thundered out of the ebon gloom, spewing liquid hell as it came. Clearly it was equipped with Kojin stove's, but the occasional super-heated blast from a Lizard brain voiced it's presence intermittently.

The officer new that his men, whilst capable and seasoned, could not match this adversary. "All guns hold off on that Inferno", he ordered. "Drop left and get me a distraction but stay clear of engagement".
His closest troops broke off immediately and rushed the metal giant's flank. It worked like a charm. Instinctively, the hostile banked towards the feint, and as he did so he exposed his left side. 'Gotcha' the lieutenant thought ruthlessly. He pushed his engines to their very limits and powered up his black widow battery.

The brigand commander realized his misjudgment,, but all too late. The lieutenant's lasers screeched into life and slammed deep into his foe's hull. Despite the prestigious mech's leveled armor and clearly sophisticated weaponry there were clearly no shield capabilities. The metal ripped before the blast and in a single shot it was over.

As the bandit leader fell into smoldering scrap the remaining hostiles panicked and turned in terror.
The raced towards the cover of the nearest rocky outcrops, followed the whole way by missile and projectile fire.

The day was won. The cargo transports had survived in tact thanks to the skill and method of the mercenaries and their steeds.

Once they reached the relative safety of the mining outpost they would be paid.

Tomorrow, who knew. Drinking? A few days to spend their bounty? It would be a brief celebration and the next contract would be on the cards. This engagement would carry words of praise and serve to enhance their reputation.

For now.... the journey went on.

Submitted by Steve Ross #162076

Rail Cannon Weapon Review

This has minimum level requirement of 42 and will cost you 1,500 Ferrite, 1,200 Bioptics and 20 crystal. It will give you 39 Damage and has a speed of 106. The beauty of slug throwers is that they are fast and deal out a good amount of damage when paired with a mecha designed for such weapons and further complimented by equipment designed to capitalize on the damage. Really you can't go wrong with a solid round and it is reflected in the slug throwers damage and speed.

Granted as with the previous entries you can get more damage and extra ability from niode weaponry, but we're talking about the things a mid level player may need in a pinch.  Also with limitations on the higher level weapons as to how many you can have at any given time it is good to remember your old gear just in case  you need a weapon slot filled. This one seems to be a favorite of lower to mid level players before they hit the big guns and it is easy to see why. Speed and power never do you wrong as long as you are the one pulling the trigger.

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

Potato Punishment

"Knockers, this is a joke right?  I am taking off Exacto Shots and Kojin Stoves to put on a freaking potato gun?"

Knockers McGuinty was chief tech and possibly lone sane individual in the Defenders of Bunny officer corps, and had been expecting to hear a response from the her tech team.  The orders were dead serious, and equally stupid.  That was life working for socket jockeys; the mech-monkey had a few sacred institutions that nobody outside their community understood, and the cult of the potato was one of them.

You could buy anything on the black market, engines, mechs, weapons, seriously advanced AI and illegal chassis mods, but you could not buy a special potato.  I drek you not; this one thing the mecha monkeys took to the grave.  The only way you could get one of these crazy potato was to have served on the line in Clan War, or the insanity of Faction War.  Only those who served the season in hell could claim to hold even one of these potato.  Minsky, owner of the infamous mecha pilot only club held a party that was by potato only, and somewhere in that drunken orgy of decompression from the insanity of Faction War 1 was dreamed an even stupider idea.  Potato Mechtathalon.

Three mechs max, armed only with potato will enter the arena and do battle.  Again and again will these vegetable gladiators hammer each other with side dishes until their high powered crystal and niode machines are burning piles of scrap, happily roasting the potato that killed them.  It was, honestly reverting most of the mecha pilots into kindergarteners at Christmas.  The most reserved and serious pilots were laughing and rubbing their hands, eagerly waiting their chance to do.....salad....with their peers.

"Sorry man, the order is real.  Arm the top mechs of all of our pilots with the potato they have earned.  If they have won more than three potato, arm some with multiple.  You had best be careful.  I don't know why, but the mechs take this seriously too.  The ones you give potato are not going to want to give them up again.  The mechs take this as seriously as the socket jockeys."

"You missed the last Clan War, but I can still remember them charging into battle screaming 'Potato and Victory' "  Knockers shuddered.  "Our boys and girls are not that tightly wound sometimes."

The two techs worked to dismount the massive batteries of Exacto Shots and Six Shooters, and the focusing elements for the Flavian Spears.  In its place they mounted large hoppers filled not with nickel-iron sabot slugs, but with potato.    A massive potato gun was locked into the primary weapons slot.  Once the weapon software began its handshake with the MIU, the Dreadnought roused from its slumber with a low growl.   Knockers grinned, but her assistant tech looked alarmed.

"Yeah, the mechs, they know when they get the potato loaded that they bear an honor weapon.  I mean you would be lucky to kill a butterfly with one, and they fire slower than a stunned Sloth, but the mecha are just as buggy as the socket-jockeys that pilot them.  You give them a potato and they get all kinds of smug.  Either you bear a potato as a champion, or you are just, nothing"

The assistant tech looked around, and whispered "Do you feel the other mechs, you know, looking at you?"

Knockers laughed.  "You bet, there are only so many potato to go around, every mecha in the bay dreams of bearing it."

"I have to admit, I bring lots of popcorn and laugh myself sick watching these crazy machines and our beloved and not-always-balanced fearless leaders cheerfully potting each other with side dishes in the ring, like some kind of salad-gladiators.  It's the single weirdest food fight in the galaxy, and only three lucky mecha from every lance gets to go, and only the best have won enough potato to equip them."

The tech looked back at Knockers "That is messed right the Frack up."
They laughed as they moved to the next mecha.  The crane swaying over the next hopper filled with potato.
 

  






Submitted by John T Mainer #28840

Rail Gun Weapon Review

Next up on the slug thrower list is the Rail Gun which will cost you 480 Ferrite, 384 Bioptics, and 13 Crystal. It runs a damage of 30 and a speed of 105, with no special abilities and a level restriction of 32 before you can purchase it. Again a fairly common weapon favored by pilots who prefer solid round ammunition mechs. Also again you can get more bang  out of a niode gun but when you need resources or are saving up this is a fairly decent option.

Lets face it slug throwers have the speed and damage capabilities which are why so many favor them so heavily in combat. They only get bigger and badder from here, but this is no slouch of a gun. You may get limited use depending on your play and level style you may out grow this weapon fairly easily but in the time you have it, well it will serve you well and leave a lot of scrap in its wake.

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

Mauler Weapon Review

A crystal slug thrower the mauler comes to you for 330 Ferrite, 264 Bioptics, and 8 crystal. It sports no special abilities in the weapon itself but has a Speed of 108 and damage of 21 with a level requirement of 22 to purchase one.This is  fairly common gun and a decent one once you unlock it. You will most likely get a great deal of use out of it from various mechas specializing in slug thrower weapons. It isn't a devastating weapon of destruction on its own but it is a weapon that fires fairy fast and does for the level requirement good damage.

Granted for level 21 if you have the niodes to spare you can purchase a Panther Wheel which does more damage, and faster firing speed with abilities built in, but if you are strapped for resources this is a solid weapon and a good buy for your money. You may out grow this weapon kin of fast based on your play style and how quick you level  but while you are there The Mauler is a reasonable bang for your buck.

Submitted by Pat Willis # 224534

Holmes for the Holidays

Faction War was over, we were back on routine patrols.  No real point, the storm of Faction war had been so extreme that pirate activity had dropped right off the map.  Apparently your average pirate just wasn't interested in trying  to slip through a gate that could have half the Blue Octet Dragons military, or a couple hundred AFF dashing through the other way, fangs out and hair on fire.  The National armies paraded a lot, and stayed inside the cities, because they know we don't fight around civilians.  Honestly, they still think we want to conquer them.  Get real.  Too much paperwork.

 My patrol of mixed Holmes and Imechs was running the circuit out of Chiang-wu, a nothing little world with the best Dim Sum on the explored galaxy; weird to find good Korean food on a Chinese settled world, but their pizza was outstanding too.  I was looking forward to patrol, something nice and relaxing.  My Holmes had some non-standard upgrades in it since the war.  The Bulls Eye Rail, and Galaxy Eyes, the weirdly distorting niode shields and smooth running advanced engines had made my Holmes into the equal of most Ogguns.  I was ready for anything, except what was in my email slot.  Mom.

I was looking for a chance for a nice simple battle, maybe go pick on those Armored Core guys, or a Smurf.  I saw them coming and going during the war, and they did OK, but I hadn't tested myself against them.  Or a pirate.  Honestly, pirates were going to be like hunting baby-seals.   Anything was better than answering mom's letter from home.  A.N.N and T.G.G. were flooding the Tri-V with coverage of the war, and the raid, and the other raid.  Mom and dad were losing their collective minds, advertising executives didn't expect their children to grow up to be exchanging blasts of nuclear hell on airless wastelands.  They expected business suits, power lunches, golf.  Honestly, give me Vupa 6 insane ravers screaming and howling as they come, but I am not golfing, and when they tighten a knot under my neck it will be hanging me, not a bloody suit and tie.  They want me "Home for the Holidays".  Mech-drek.

Scanners were fuzzing.  It was weird, it was a bit like the effect we saw from Drakes clones, only they had to be in sight before we  got that.  Whatever this was was stronger.  The Gate from Chaing Wu to Hells-a-commin showed activity.  The radio relay on the gate was down.  I punched the magnification on my HUD.  Yup, it was burned off.  Tight beam laser.  Somebody punched through to Hells-a-Commin and wanted it kept quiet.  Oh baby, pirates!

We radioed base, and hit the gate.  Who was it this time?  Dorian had been making noise lately, Tory was always trouble, Herrod was just bug-house crazy.  Whoever it was just gave me a hunting license.  They damaged the gate, this made them Class 3 Violators, track down and destroy, full bounty.  Love law and order, it buys the beer.

The gate disruption was like a shot of ice cold vodka.  Hit the brain with a sweet ice knife edge, cutting off the babbling, and triggering the adrenaline.  Sensors came back online, and, yes, there is the jamming again.  Really strong.  Some broken transmissions, cries for help, ejection signals, some reactor overload signals.  Somebody was getting stomped. Hard.

We fanned out and hit the ridge in line abreast, whatever was in the valley was getting a big green surprise.

TANDEM BOMB!  Our mechs shook and rattled under the explosion, our entire front rank taking the power of the hit.  Sensors cut through the jamming with the line of sight open and..........Frack me with a candy-cane, he's back.
I cut loose with my Galaxy Eye, nailing a Christmas Tree.  Its partner replied with a Nutcracker that killed my left flank Holmes.  I dodged into the explosion, trusting my shields, and outguessing the Christmas tree shooting at me.  I toggle my Bull's Eye Rail and did some supersonic logging.  One down each.

The mecha fielded by the enemy were distinctive.  One great golden antler crowned Reindeer, looking like a decorated Namtar.  Three green capped grinning Mecha-Elves, and three of those insane gun and missile toting Christmas tree.  The rest were common designs.  The wreckage around them showed they had taken the Shogunate garrison by storm, and not taken much damage doing it.

My middle Imech returned fork for fork, sending our Tandem Bomb back In return for theirs.  A Christmas Tree and Mecha-Elf stagger under the missiles, and I burn the Elf a third eye with my Galaxy Eye.  Advantage is ours.

"Don't make any plans for the Holidays boys, looks like  Evil Santa Claus is coming to town"

Given the choice, I would rather be Holmes, than Home for the Holiday's anyway.

Submitted by John T Mainer #28840

Potato Only

Welcome to live full event coverage here on Galaxy Gathering, pleased to be on hand for the red carpet affair here at Minsky's.  This Galaxy renowned mecha pilot only club has been host to more A list parties but featured In more gossip and scandal than any other in the explored galaxy.  Tonight looks to be no exception as this party has drawn the whose who of the mecha community.

This isn't just an invitation only event ladies and gentlemen, it's a Potato Only event!  That's right ladies and gentlemen, the only people getting in the door to Minsky's tonight are winners of one of Drake Novum's special clone potatoes from this past Faction War 1.  Sort of gives you shivers the way they are calling it Faction War 1, like the insane explosion of violence that engulfed the whole gate nexus was in some fashion to be a recurring event, but that's socket jockeys for you, always ready for the next war.

Stellarflow limosines have been dropping off pilots in a steady stream, what is interesting for our viewers is that the pilots are arriving as Factions, but are wearing the dress uniforms of the old Warrior Clans.  Our archivists have been going over the footage of the new arrivals and have confirmed the dress uniforms worn reflect the pre-war Clan affiliations, fueling speculation that with the war over, the super-armies of the factions will again disband, thus dispelling rumors of escalating galactic conflict.

Across from Minsky's is the reserved Champion Parking complex.  Our camera crew was through earlier with the Minsky management, and saw that the complex has been completely reworked in blocks of fifteen, for the champions of the returning factions.  Tonight's parking  privileges are Prize Megazome only.

They are taking this seriously ladies and gentlemen, the two 90 ton black Antithesis mecha out front from The Storm and Northwind Highlanders stuffed a 99 Chessman RND Nephillax into a dumpster for trying to use Champion parking tonight.  Whatever your past honors, no potato, no party and no parking!

News fans will remember the sensation created when the RND pulled their faction out of the war, but a few of the pilots entering with their factions were sporting their RND uniform, suggesting that the pilots released to the war from RND will indeed be returning to that long time staple of the middle weight mecha circuit.

Here we have the Smurf Legion arriving, good lord they really are singing that song in public!  What is interesting about the Smurf Faction is that they very much seem to be together as a group, even though sporting their old Clan colors.

Wait a second ladies and gentlemen, we have something happening in front of the paparazzi!  Some sort of ceremony.  Wait a second,  check the archives.  YES!  What you see on screen here is three of the top 15 from Smurf Legion, two of them sporting Defenders of Bunny colors, identified as being the Chief John Mainer and his XO Charles Newburn.  They have just presented Melissa Howell with a Defenders of Bunny dress uniform jacket and she is putting it on!  There you have it folks, top ranked independent mech pilot Melissa Powell is now a Defender of Bunny.  Well, that one took our commentators by surprise.

Here is a daring fashion choice, Richard Hein of the Storm has just entered wearing a dress kilt of the 1st Kearny Highlanders.  Well that begs the question GOOD LORD!  There you have it gentlemen, and most certainly ladies, it is confirmed Richard Hein is wearing his dress kilt traditionally commando.  The crowd going absolutely wild when the Storm leader flashed the crowd more than his grin.  It is required you show your potato to get in the door, but trust the Storm to take things a little farther.  Do you think his wearing the colours of the senior regiment of the Northwind Highlanders represents some sort of side bet from the horrifically close battle the two fought for Division 1 gold?

Wait a moment, there is Dr Drake Novum,  Yes indeed, just back from the Clan Raid against his own clone and army, he is sporting a dreadful suit.  Mirrored silver spats, white suit and top hat, long white scarf, black cumber bun, black walking stick with a huge blue power crystal head, and yes ladies and gentlemen, our fashion director is right now pounding his head against the display to relive the pain of tacky; Drake's white tuxedo and tails jacket has crystal powered displays flashing blue yellow and red "BAD TO THE CLONE".   Someone want to take the gun away from the Fashion critic before he starts a war?

Well, whether that Smurf Drake is the real Drake, his potato cleared the gene scanner and he is in to the closing party of Faction War 1.

They came from dozens of factions, from hundreds of Clans, and  from independent mecha households.  They joined together in the single greatest conflict the inhabited worlds have even seen, fought off two different Clone invasion armies and now they are at Minsky's to let their hair down.  How hard are they going to party?

There you are ladies and gentlemen, the paparazzi are being chased off by what looks like the combined riot police of all sixteen districts of the city, and they look to be settling in for a long night.  Faction War 1 looks to end with a party at least as epic in scale as the war that spawned it, but unless you won your potato, our coverage is as close as you get.

Submitted by John T Mainer#28840

Anzu Mecha Review From Sten Hugo Hiller

As the second bioptics/ferrite mech you should except this to be an improvement over the Red Ant, but is it really so? The Anzus main drawback is kickback ( damage it deals to itself) the second drawback is that it is not really specialized. At Lvl 12 (entry to Circuit fight) it has 1 Engine 2 weapons and 1 chassis slot +3% laser and projectile damage.At lvl 50 when it tops out it has 8 weapons, 2 engines and1 cockpit . Its kickback is now 40% of 37.5% damage and it still have 3% to laser/projectile damage.

At lvl100 it gets another 7 ( total 15) weapon slots otherwise the same as at lvl50
For Your cockpit you can use cup holder for 1% critkill or Known Hacks for a 6% freeze, ( The fof is in my opinion wrong for this mech).For your chassis slot the choice is Hip actuator, or reinforced joints, as for engine you must decide if the 1 point auto repair for cogwerk microblock is worth the 8 niodes it cost more than Block charge.My preferred load out is the cup holder, reinforced joints and 2 Cogwerk microblocks.
At lvl 100 this will cost you 3k ferrite/bioptics and 16 Niodes.

Submitted by Sten Hugo Hiller#627184

Post Faction War Interview With Thodoris Liolios

Today I'm here with Thodoris Liolios # 30531 Leader of Northwind Highlanders in a post Faction Wars interview. Thank you for taking the time to be here Ted.

Ted: It's always a pleasure talking to you and Pat, Deb. You know it And please, allow me to congratulate you on your new site and wish you all the best

Deb: Thank you Yep and I appreciate it, sincerely. This was the first ever FWs, the shear volume regarding numbers seemed overwhelming. What was it like to be at the helm of the Gold winning Faction?

Ted: Well, to begin with it was very, very interesting. A new event. I am a sucker for new events, so I was excited. In fact, I was doubly excited, because it was the first time we would bring so many of our brothers together for a HUGE fight. I was also kinda weary, cause for a long time the devs chose to withhold specifics about the event itself, making me kinda wonder what they were up to or whether we were heading towards the right direction. Other than that, it is always a pleasure to lead the Northwind Highlanders, they are such a disciplined group that they make it very, very easy for me. Being at the helm of our people is a prize unto itself, the Gold was a really nice bonus.

Deb: Lovely bonus indeed. I also enjoyed fighting with so many all together. Were you watching other divisions as well? I know you were intent on making sure things were going smoothly for ours.

Ted: Of course I did. I was very interested in division 2 and specifically our guys in OZ Land. I wanted them to win gold. They did not but no big deal. The fight they and their allies put up is worthy of songs and legends. I am damn proud of them.

Deb: Yes, great battles all around. It must have been difficult for the devs to find the right breaks for factions, increasing from three to five divisions hopefully helped. Would you like to see the clans stay in the larger format?

Ted: Honestly, yes i would. I kinda love the way clans are now. But I also understand that this may drag players that are not yet ready to level up much, down a road that could well prove extremely difficult and bumpy to follow. So, as much as it will hurt me that we will have to go back in our old formations in a couple days, I accept it as a necessary and probably wise move. There is also room for improvement until the next FW event takes place, I hope the devs will have found the right breaks for the divisions, players will be better prepared and everyone will have even more fun.

Deb: I'm curious if we'll be having CWs between FWs or if this will become a permanent replacement. What are your thoughts about that?

Ted: I believe the devs must alternate between the events, so that none becomes tedious as CWs had become for the last few months. Also, perhaps, another new type of event a kind of competitive mega raid - one that doesn't involve PvP that is, would add another new dimension of fun to the game. Be it as it may, kudos to the devs for taking the risk with this new event format.

Deb: Agreed, lots of fun with the change and there's always room for improvement. I would love to see a raid type 'Wars' that pitted us against a common foe and not each other. Is there anything you'd like to add?

Ted: My thanks to all members of the NWHL. Though it may seem to an outside observer that we are just a bunch of people playing a game, there are stories of heroism to be told from this event. Stories that prove the utter loyalty and dedication of our numbers, their intestinal fortitude in some cases , stories of selflessness. But that would require a lot of digital "ink" in order to narrate them, so I will skip it and keep them for ourselves. A kind of our own personal sagas. Other than that, i would like to express my gratitude, respect and pride to the people that comprise the Brotherhood. Also, a big thanks to our opponents. It takes two to make an interesting fight and they sure as hell made it VERY interesting.

Deb: I would also like to thank all our opponents for great battles, as well as the developers for providing entertainment at the very least and more for some. I appreciate having you guide our faction, thanks for being there all the time, not just during wars. I look forward to fighting by your side again, until then I bid you safe travels and successful battles.

Ted: Thank you too Deb, your help has been invaluable not just throughout this event but for a long time now. I wish you all the best in your RL and I am honored to have you people fight and serve by my side.

Submitted by Deborah Roaché-Hudak #289133

Post Faction War Interview with Martin Cartwright

In the winner's circle, Deborah Roaché-Hudak in a post Faction Wars interview with Martin Cartwright # 51616 of Northwind Highlanders Faction. Thank you for joining me Martin.

Martin: It's a pleasure Deb, I've just about recovered from our celebrations

Deb: Indeed, spirits are high on many levels still I'm guessing. You were apprehensive before we began as I recall, what would you like to say now about the FWs?

Martin: I really enjoyed the change of pace, it was manic but what a final match, talk about down to the wire. I guess that being in the winning faction its easy to be enthusiastic about it so I'd be interested to see how other factions feel

Deb: Too true, hard to poke too much when you win Was it an issue having so many to battle each day?

Martin: It took me around 6 hours per day to get through all the attacks, I kept popping on until I was done but I realise that for many it would have been difficult to get through so many attacks

Deb: The super drinks sure helped I'd think but we still have healing time to consider. Getting twenty battles saved instead of ten was also a great change, wish it had stayed permanent. Was your strategy any different than it would have been for a normal Clan Wars?

Martin: I tweaked it a little, played more cautious, and waited for 100% health before each attack but when it came to the storm I chanced a couple of 50/50 attacks on Charlie White and won both times

Deb: Knowing where your hits are best placed is the key and playing on the side of caution is wise. Did you watch the other divisions battles/scores or focus mainly on D1?

Martin: Normally I would but I had restricted access as I was only able to get online at work so it restricted what I could do but I saw our brother clans had a tough fight on their hands

Deb: That's closer than most expected to see I bet. Would like to say anything else about the wars?

Martin: Yes, it was nice to see the devs keeping this a dynamic game that doesn't rely on the same old tired things. I bet they will have learned a lot from this last FW and I eagerly look forward to seeing what they do with the lessons they learned, oh and that winning feeling is marvelous!

Deb: Yes it is brother, I look forward to fighting by your side again in the future. Win or lose, we do our best. Thanks again and until then, I bid you safe travels and successful battles!

Martin: You to Deb

Submitted by Deborah Roaché-Hudak #289133

A Word About Shielding And Other Equipment: An Editorial

Hello one and all Pat Willis the Editor in Chief here at Galaxy Gathering with a word about some equipment. It would seem the higher the tonnage, the more damage dealing ability attributed to whichever mecha, the more slots you have to customize, the more equipment will just screw you over. Shielding especially given it is supposed to protect your mecha from damage instead you trade one weakness for another, and for another, and another depending on how many slots your mecha has according to build. Or some of the heavier tonnage Chassis equipment will leave you open to damage you may not have to deal with according to mecha build, which of course you use shielding for to compensate, again to end up with a vulnerability your mecha may never have had in the first place and in some cases more than the original build would have initially had if you just ran the mecha "naked".

Now I know a key element is for balance you have to judge the power of what the mecha is capable of and balance it out to a degree so as not to have insane stats mecha. However where is the sense in having insane dodge stats only to have yourself mortally damaged more easily by a stray shot you may have otherwise  been able to survive just because your mecha is now open to that one form of damage, whereas before it was not? Also where in all the stars does Star Factories get off building such shoddy equipment for such high prices? Why would I pay to have my mecha laid bare to my enemy only to have it wiped out in the first salvo? Oh I know it is strategy, you have to think for the build to get it fine tuned, and just right. Okay fine no problem there but at least if the equipment has such flaws built in lower the prices. Let the price reflect the true value of the equipment.

I never professed to be a major mecha builder I am not an expert and I freely admit to this. However I see no sense in trading one vulnerability for another, and paying extortion prices to boot. Mechas cost enough as is, weapons as well, why pay for that extra mile when in fact you are opening yourself up to a whole new world of whoop ass?  Feel free to counter my argument if you like, change my mind if you can. I open this debate to one and all. Let me see what you think and convince me if you can. Until then I see this only getting worse and prices going higher, all for what? Imagined safety from your build vulnerability to expose yourself to more chances from other types.

Submitted by Pat Willis #224534

Red Ant Mecha Review From Sten Hugo Hiller

The Red Ant Mech is sorely underestimated by most players. But it has certain strong points in its favor.First strong point is it cost 0 Crystal or Niodes, and upgrading is just a few lousy ferrite and bioptics.Second strong point is that unlike a lot of other Mechs it continues improving after lvl 50.Third strong point is that the Equipment you will put on it is also very cheap, for cockpit the best choice is actually cup holder, as it gives improved crit-kill. The two niode cockpits offers a little bit of laser damage or freeze, which on a laser mech is no real improvement.

For chassis you have a cheap 10 Dodge in reinforced joints, you can pay 9 Niodes to get 12 Dodge with the hip actuator, but not worth the price in my opinion. For your eventual 3 Shields I would recommend the viridel,crabworth and arkani.

The Niode versions are better but cost 8 Niodes each. At lvl 12 when you can enter the circuit fights you have 2 weaponslots, +15% to laserdamage and +10 speed.At lvl 50 when a lot of other mechs stop improving you have +10 speed, +65% laserdamage and 8 weaponslots.

At lvl 100 Your Red Ant is stil at +10 speed,+65% laser damage, has 15 weapon slots, Shield 15 and laser/missile/projectile shield 10.To get yor Red Ant to lvl 100 will cost you 3k bioptics and ferrite, a bargain you should not pass up. Buy Your Red Ants today, use the next month to Level them up, and when the next Ant rush KOTM arrives you are ready.

Submitted by Sten Hugo Hiller#627184