Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Friday, October 31, 2014
FOF Targeting Equipment Review
For your low tonnage mecha (0-30) this is a decent piece of cockpit equipment. It costs 141 Ferrite, 220 Bioptics, and only 15 Niodes. Its abilities are Precision (5), 2x Damage at 6%, Missile Damage at +10%, and Projectile Damage at +4%. Pretty much an all purpose little piece of brain gear for your smaller mecha. Precision is decent, especially if put on a build that specializes in missile or projectile damage this easily becomes stackable for nice bonuses to said weaponry.
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Multi- dimensional Equipment Review
For mechs in the 80-95 ton range this shielding will cost you 572 Ferrite, 611 Bioptics, and 42
Niodes. It has a Trample shield of 11%, Shield of (20) with the vulnerability of Speed -3. Pretty affordable really and an anti Trample shield comes in handy no matter the percentage, the additional shielding at 20 isn't too shabby and the price of a movement/speed vulnerability really isn't that bad.
As large mechs are slow to begin with it isn't like these are going to totally drag your mech down unless you stack them. But given some of the newer dino based mecha have trample shielding this could be a fun little add on to them to see how much you can deflect at one time. Not much more really to say here, it's a shield it does its job and only slows you down a bit. There are worse pieces of equipment out there with worse vulnerabilities attached to them.
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Niodes. It has a Trample shield of 11%, Shield of (20) with the vulnerability of Speed -3. Pretty affordable really and an anti Trample shield comes in handy no matter the percentage, the additional shielding at 20 isn't too shabby and the price of a movement/speed vulnerability really isn't that bad.
As large mechs are slow to begin with it isn't like these are going to totally drag your mech down unless you stack them. But given some of the newer dino based mecha have trample shielding this could be a fun little add on to them to see how much you can deflect at one time. Not much more really to say here, it's a shield it does its job and only slows you down a bit. There are worse pieces of equipment out there with worse vulnerabilities attached to them.
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Holmboy Mecha Spotlight
This isn't the original Holmboy...that one, and its remake were both scrapped a long time back many levels ago. I'm not totally sure but according to records in my hangar it might be my third or fourth customization of a Holmes unit. I wish I'd kept better notes.
Anyway, I was in New California awhile back and learned of a sort of "sport" practiced by the people there involving light and medium weight division mecha that they call "mech surfing". You take advantage of the nimbleness of these mecha to ride an incoming wave of carnage during a battle. This iteration of Holmboy like the first two makes use of a Spinal Bracing and Nanobot Repair chassis while sporting an Omnigrav Rotational Engine.
I was at a mech shop when it hit me that since the Holmes is primarily an offensive focused mech lacking shielding options you've got to make due with clever chassis configurations.
At the time I was using torso plating but that stuff while providing an alright shield slows the sucker down considerably and in these less heavily armored/shielded guys it tends to be hit first, die later... or get scraped off a bigger mecha's hull/cockpit.
I saw there was a new type of Hip Shocks available that offered some ice protection, a speed boost, some dodge plus a bit of precision and I had to have it. Holmeboy isn't the fastest mecha in my fleet but a base speed of 19 + 4 more clocks it in at 23 which isn't too bad all in all.
For armaments I put in a Death Orchid I'd scored a long time ago from a lower division KoTM (Div 4 and 3 are super aggressive so I'd hoard stuff you win in 5 or even back in 6 if you're super cautious. Like they say though, hindsight is 20/20), and a Trident Beam I had just sitting around in the armory that had been laying there unused for awhile... the rest of Holmboy's weaponry being a bank of Res Lasers, Hyper Amps and Cheops Beams.
Fuzzy Dice, A Rackmount and Telescopic Sight make up the cockpit options for this customization. Mech surfing is highly dangerous but if you have an alright amount of speed and dodge in your mecha you can pull it off in one piece.
It's the kickback that has rendered many a promising young pilot to paste however so your best bet is not trying it in your front line, but to attempt it in a line of your formation where you've got support from other heavier/more solid mecha.
Here are the stats for this iteration of Holmboy:
Laser Damage + 36%
Speed + 23
2X Damage 18%
Trample 5%
Crit-Kill 2%
Precision (10)
Slow (2)
Dodge (20)
Auto Repair (4)
Shield (1)
Ice Shield 8%
Kickback 10% odds 80% dam
Also, while in New California it helps if you kind of understand the lingo of its people (for example, know the difference between a "hodaddy" and a "shoobie"). Hang ten dudes.
Submitted by Mycobacter of Samurai Mecha#712744
Anyway, I was in New California awhile back and learned of a sort of "sport" practiced by the people there involving light and medium weight division mecha that they call "mech surfing". You take advantage of the nimbleness of these mecha to ride an incoming wave of carnage during a battle. This iteration of Holmboy like the first two makes use of a Spinal Bracing and Nanobot Repair chassis while sporting an Omnigrav Rotational Engine.
I was at a mech shop when it hit me that since the Holmes is primarily an offensive focused mech lacking shielding options you've got to make due with clever chassis configurations.
At the time I was using torso plating but that stuff while providing an alright shield slows the sucker down considerably and in these less heavily armored/shielded guys it tends to be hit first, die later... or get scraped off a bigger mecha's hull/cockpit.
I saw there was a new type of Hip Shocks available that offered some ice protection, a speed boost, some dodge plus a bit of precision and I had to have it. Holmeboy isn't the fastest mecha in my fleet but a base speed of 19 + 4 more clocks it in at 23 which isn't too bad all in all.
For armaments I put in a Death Orchid I'd scored a long time ago from a lower division KoTM (Div 4 and 3 are super aggressive so I'd hoard stuff you win in 5 or even back in 6 if you're super cautious. Like they say though, hindsight is 20/20), and a Trident Beam I had just sitting around in the armory that had been laying there unused for awhile... the rest of Holmboy's weaponry being a bank of Res Lasers, Hyper Amps and Cheops Beams.
Fuzzy Dice, A Rackmount and Telescopic Sight make up the cockpit options for this customization. Mech surfing is highly dangerous but if you have an alright amount of speed and dodge in your mecha you can pull it off in one piece.
It's the kickback that has rendered many a promising young pilot to paste however so your best bet is not trying it in your front line, but to attempt it in a line of your formation where you've got support from other heavier/more solid mecha.
Here are the stats for this iteration of Holmboy:
Laser Damage + 36%
Speed + 23
2X Damage 18%
Trample 5%
Crit-Kill 2%
Precision (10)
Slow (2)
Dodge (20)
Auto Repair (4)
Shield (1)
Ice Shield 8%
Kickback 10% odds 80% dam
Also, while in New California it helps if you kind of understand the lingo of its people (for example, know the difference between a "hodaddy" and a "shoobie"). Hang ten dudes.
Submitted by Mycobacter of Samurai Mecha#712744
Now For Something Very Different
(From the private diary of Space Ghost, space warrior extraordinaire...)
Heh, while everybody's been distracted by the Faction Wars, I went on a farming raid this evening: once through everybody's farm who was on my list got me 469 crystals! I love having so many friends who are lazy, crappy farmers! Several of them made a huge oversight - they left full 40's laying out on their doorsteps! (I'm going to have a terrible hangover tomorrow!)
Once again the nefarious Batman has failed in his plans to undermine my rise to super-star status in Mecha Galaxy. He always manages to spike the servers with a virus that puts my clan into the lowest level-average slot in whatever division we happen to fall into. I am wise to his schemes by now, and have secured at least a Silver Medal during this Faction War. Damn you, Batman! I will rise to the top in spite of your deceit and treachery. Speaking of which, I have located a possible suspect for who Batman might actually be masquerading as: Bruce Wayne! I couldn't believe he's been hiding there in my friend's list - right there in plain sight! All of this time! HA-HA! I'm on to you, Batman/Bruce Wayne! I have not yet figured out a way to have you wormholed back to your own Gotham-inspired universe, but my technicians are busy working with the Niode Gateways to banish you back to your plane of existence when you least suspect it!
I'm becoming more and more UNconcerned about Vrack's drinking-problem. After he opened-up a can of RAID! and drank it last week I was almost sure he was done for! Turns out the old cocharoache is more resilient than his boney exoskeleton would indicate. He even caught Ebola from licking one of the nurses who came in to give him a bath. I guess it doesn't affect insectopods? I was sure to place an anonymous call into the hospital where he was staying and insist that he remain quarantined for the full 21-day duration - and it gave me a much needed break from his incessant clicking and popping noises!
So, in Round 3 I finally get to stare Death in the face. Death's Dawn {AFF} thinks they are so high and mighty - with all of their formations full of Niode-bought mechas. Little do they know that I am a ghost, hence already dead. Their shiny metal and evil glares will not have the desired effect on me! And, I'm sure they are painfully unaware of just how to catch a ghost. I just hope that they don't get wise and call Ghost-Busters! If they figure that one out, I'm doomed for sure! I'll keep my fingers crossed on that one...
I'm still searching for a perfect opportunity to catch that ugly Fore-Skinner commander, Drohchah oh-Thyehgr, when he's away from his Regis, out taking a bathroom-break or eating a Big Mac or something like that...? I sure would like to take that piece of equipment out for a joy ride! Hmmm? I wonder if I would be able to control it or not? Probly not. Guess I'll just have to wreck his ride, then! I could drive it right off of a cliff and then fly away before it hits the ground. Yeah! That might actually work! I can't wait to try it!
Well, it's past my late-night-floating-through-space-contemplating-deep-thoughts time of the night. Yawn!
*Editors note- Disclaimer, SPACE GHOST and BATMAN are registered trademarks of DC comics a Warners bros company, used here for parody purposes and in no way affiliated with Warner Bros or DC comics.
Submitted by Mark Wiseman#12304
Heh, while everybody's been distracted by the Faction Wars, I went on a farming raid this evening: once through everybody's farm who was on my list got me 469 crystals! I love having so many friends who are lazy, crappy farmers! Several of them made a huge oversight - they left full 40's laying out on their doorsteps! (I'm going to have a terrible hangover tomorrow!)
Once again the nefarious Batman has failed in his plans to undermine my rise to super-star status in Mecha Galaxy. He always manages to spike the servers with a virus that puts my clan into the lowest level-average slot in whatever division we happen to fall into. I am wise to his schemes by now, and have secured at least a Silver Medal during this Faction War. Damn you, Batman! I will rise to the top in spite of your deceit and treachery. Speaking of which, I have located a possible suspect for who Batman might actually be masquerading as: Bruce Wayne! I couldn't believe he's been hiding there in my friend's list - right there in plain sight! All of this time! HA-HA! I'm on to you, Batman/Bruce Wayne! I have not yet figured out a way to have you wormholed back to your own Gotham-inspired universe, but my technicians are busy working with the Niode Gateways to banish you back to your plane of existence when you least suspect it!
I'm becoming more and more UNconcerned about Vrack's drinking-problem. After he opened-up a can of RAID! and drank it last week I was almost sure he was done for! Turns out the old cocharoache is more resilient than his boney exoskeleton would indicate. He even caught Ebola from licking one of the nurses who came in to give him a bath. I guess it doesn't affect insectopods? I was sure to place an anonymous call into the hospital where he was staying and insist that he remain quarantined for the full 21-day duration - and it gave me a much needed break from his incessant clicking and popping noises!
So, in Round 3 I finally get to stare Death in the face. Death's Dawn {AFF} thinks they are so high and mighty - with all of their formations full of Niode-bought mechas. Little do they know that I am a ghost, hence already dead. Their shiny metal and evil glares will not have the desired effect on me! And, I'm sure they are painfully unaware of just how to catch a ghost. I just hope that they don't get wise and call Ghost-Busters! If they figure that one out, I'm doomed for sure! I'll keep my fingers crossed on that one...
I'm still searching for a perfect opportunity to catch that ugly Fore-Skinner commander, Drohchah oh-Thyehgr, when he's away from his Regis, out taking a bathroom-break or eating a Big Mac or something like that...? I sure would like to take that piece of equipment out for a joy ride! Hmmm? I wonder if I would be able to control it or not? Probly not. Guess I'll just have to wreck his ride, then! I could drive it right off of a cliff and then fly away before it hits the ground. Yeah! That might actually work! I can't wait to try it!
Well, it's past my late-night-floating-through-space-contemplating-deep-thoughts time of the night. Yawn!
*Editors note- Disclaimer, SPACE GHOST and BATMAN are registered trademarks of DC comics a Warners bros company, used here for parody purposes and in no way affiliated with Warner Bros or DC comics.
Submitted by Mark Wiseman#12304
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
The Blind Spot Chapter 2
Barry spoke again. "You can take the papers out now." I took mine out of my mouth and unfolded it. It was the outside of a gum wrapper. We waited for Barry to explain.
"Arthur Conan Doyle once wrote 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.' I used to think that meant looking at possibilities, eliminating what couldn't be true, and taking what remained. Even when I became a mech pilot and should have known better, I didn't understand.
Mech pilots are trained to act. Not react, but *act*. Sure, in the field you're mostly walking from one place to another, or standing around waiting for orders, or cleaning or digging trenches or whatever, but that's not really why you're there. You're there to do what's appropriate and necessary when the moment comes.
Your instructors beat you into the ground, force you to run for days with full packs and no rations other than what you can catch and kill with your bare hands. Tired, thirsty, dirty, nauseated, beaten, you're trained to perform under any conditions. There's good reason training's tough. When the moment comes, you can't be thinking about how tired or hungry you are, or how your squad-mate's brains are decorating your face, or how your arm just got shot off. In fact, the worse things are, the less you can afford to let your surroundings dictate what happens.
I don't say you control the situation. Control is an illusion. You think you control something, you think you're in charge, you become complacent. That's a good way to get killed. But you don't just let things happen to you either. You make things happen.
But back to what I was saying. 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.' Elimination for a mech pilot isn't a passive process. You fire up your missile racks, beat your opponent to the trigger, and walk the road of skulls and blood to a better tomorrow. It doesn't matter how unlikely it is that you win, all you need to do is destroy everything until winning is the only thing left.
I know how silly that sounds, and that's fine. It *is* silly for cadets to think that way. At your stage of development, nothing about being a mech pilot comes naturally. If you follow your untrained instincts, you'll just get killed. But mech pilots replace instinct with training. You don't think or try to do things, you just do them.
Being a mech pilot is a lot different to being a cadet. But what I did just now wasn't something just any mech pilot can do. Like I said, my brain works differently. It isn't a gift, it isn't a power, it isn't even that I perceive more than others. No, its just that part of my brain was damaged, the part that does not see.
There are things you are not supposed to know or remember or notice. I don't mean duty as a soldier, I'm talking about the natural order of things. The human eye has a blind spot where the optic nerve passes through the optic disc and there are no photo-receptors. There's a corresponding area in your field of vision you can't see. But your brain interpolates an image so you don't notice a blank spot.
You know also most people don't remember much of their dreams. The brain again, you see. Your mind just can't make sense of certain things, so it compensates.
It's disturbing to realize how much of what you think you know is just a product of your own imagination. But you would be terrified if you could remember what your mind makes you forget. It terrifies me, anyways. Even I don't really know, I only see glimpses, edges, shadows of what's out there. But that's enough for me, enough for any man.
I've been a mech pilot for almost forty years, and I've seen things. The Yomi Gravity Reefs have a sort of flying vol wurm that burrows through a man, pulls out his intestines, and eats them before his eyes. The aboriginal fishmen of the Perseus Arm use pressurized liquid cannons that flood a mech with poison; the cells of the body break down, the blood boils, and the body explodes from the inside out within ninety seconds. But those are deaths a man can understand. Good, kind, merciful deaths compared to what I think must wait in the Great City of Stone.
Remember what I said about the illusion of control? You become complacent, and that's an easy way to get killed in the field. But nobody can stay alert all the time. People need havens where they can relax from a constant state of vigilance. Otherwise they become nervous wrecks, and that kills them just as sure as being complacent. So it's good to relax. Remember that. You'll need to after I tell you what's out there."
Submitted by Jim Lee#843365
"Arthur Conan Doyle once wrote 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.' I used to think that meant looking at possibilities, eliminating what couldn't be true, and taking what remained. Even when I became a mech pilot and should have known better, I didn't understand.
Mech pilots are trained to act. Not react, but *act*. Sure, in the field you're mostly walking from one place to another, or standing around waiting for orders, or cleaning or digging trenches or whatever, but that's not really why you're there. You're there to do what's appropriate and necessary when the moment comes.
Your instructors beat you into the ground, force you to run for days with full packs and no rations other than what you can catch and kill with your bare hands. Tired, thirsty, dirty, nauseated, beaten, you're trained to perform under any conditions. There's good reason training's tough. When the moment comes, you can't be thinking about how tired or hungry you are, or how your squad-mate's brains are decorating your face, or how your arm just got shot off. In fact, the worse things are, the less you can afford to let your surroundings dictate what happens.
I don't say you control the situation. Control is an illusion. You think you control something, you think you're in charge, you become complacent. That's a good way to get killed. But you don't just let things happen to you either. You make things happen.
But back to what I was saying. 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.' Elimination for a mech pilot isn't a passive process. You fire up your missile racks, beat your opponent to the trigger, and walk the road of skulls and blood to a better tomorrow. It doesn't matter how unlikely it is that you win, all you need to do is destroy everything until winning is the only thing left.
I know how silly that sounds, and that's fine. It *is* silly for cadets to think that way. At your stage of development, nothing about being a mech pilot comes naturally. If you follow your untrained instincts, you'll just get killed. But mech pilots replace instinct with training. You don't think or try to do things, you just do them.
Being a mech pilot is a lot different to being a cadet. But what I did just now wasn't something just any mech pilot can do. Like I said, my brain works differently. It isn't a gift, it isn't a power, it isn't even that I perceive more than others. No, its just that part of my brain was damaged, the part that does not see.
There are things you are not supposed to know or remember or notice. I don't mean duty as a soldier, I'm talking about the natural order of things. The human eye has a blind spot where the optic nerve passes through the optic disc and there are no photo-receptors. There's a corresponding area in your field of vision you can't see. But your brain interpolates an image so you don't notice a blank spot.
You know also most people don't remember much of their dreams. The brain again, you see. Your mind just can't make sense of certain things, so it compensates.
It's disturbing to realize how much of what you think you know is just a product of your own imagination. But you would be terrified if you could remember what your mind makes you forget. It terrifies me, anyways. Even I don't really know, I only see glimpses, edges, shadows of what's out there. But that's enough for me, enough for any man.
I've been a mech pilot for almost forty years, and I've seen things. The Yomi Gravity Reefs have a sort of flying vol wurm that burrows through a man, pulls out his intestines, and eats them before his eyes. The aboriginal fishmen of the Perseus Arm use pressurized liquid cannons that flood a mech with poison; the cells of the body break down, the blood boils, and the body explodes from the inside out within ninety seconds. But those are deaths a man can understand. Good, kind, merciful deaths compared to what I think must wait in the Great City of Stone.
Remember what I said about the illusion of control? You become complacent, and that's an easy way to get killed in the field. But nobody can stay alert all the time. People need havens where they can relax from a constant state of vigilance. Otherwise they become nervous wrecks, and that kills them just as sure as being complacent. So it's good to relax. Remember that. You'll need to after I tell you what's out there."
Submitted by Jim Lee#843365
The Blind Spot
PROLOGUE
"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age." - H.P. Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulu"
CHAPTER ONE
This is a transcript of the Commencement address delivered by Jake "Red Jack" Klimt, Second Battalion Commander of Griffon Knight Legion, on June 14, 3299.
As cadets, your teachers were the finest engineers and combat veterans in the Eastern Spiral. But three years as field jacks have taught you there's a lot more to learning than books and lecture halls. Some things can only be learned by experience.
I'm here to share one of those experiences, a story that starts twenty nine years ago. I was a raw cadet at this fine institution. My squad was assigned as honor guard to Barry "Big Boy" Smathers, one of the great pilots and commanders of his generation. He'd been retired for six years by the time I met him, but it might have been sixty. You wouldn't have guessed he was a legend to meet him. He was just a nice old man, always nodding his head gently, and braiding things with those trembly hands of his.
Barry wasn't one to stand on ceremony, and it wasn't long before he was one of the boys. He'd tell funny stories about stuff he'd seen and done, though he'd get real solemn and quiet sometimes. It wasn't memories bothering him; he wasn't the sort. No, it was something else. The day he gated offworld, I asked him what it was.
We were all in the armored transport on our way to the off world gate. Barry leaned over a bit and gave us that crooked grin he'd always give right before telling a real whopper. Then he said in a low voice, "Well, boys and girl" - there was a young lady on our squad then - "it's not a story I'm in the habit of telling, mind. But I think you can be trusted." He gave us a slow wink then leaned back, his hands working away at that ever-present braid work.
What I'm about to tell you is Barry's story, word for word, as best I remember it.
==
The armored transport squeaked cheerily on as Barry began his story. "It's hard to explain exactly what's been bothering me. Like Polyphemus in Homer's Odyssey, nothing is bothering me. There's nothing I can identify. But I know what I know.
Six years ago, I was shot in the head at Falcon's Landing. You've probably seen the propaganda vids, or maybe the movie - eighteen brave pilots, sacrificing themselves to protect the civilian evacuation against the full might of Gyger Claw's army, the commander, shot in the head and left for dead. Of course, that's not really what happened at all. But that's a story best left for another day.
Anyways, the damage to my brain made me see things differently. Or maybe I still see the same, but my brain doesn't interpret what I see the same way it used to. Call it what you will, the doctors had some name for it, but I don't think even they really knew what it was. It wasn't that I was hallucinating, it was something else - something they couldn't explain and that I don't like to talk about, because it reminds me of - well, I'll get to that in a bit. First I'll show you what I mean about my brain working differently.
You know when mechs are damaged and surplus pilots need to pilot what's available, tradition is playing rock-paper-scissors for first pick. There's good reason for that. Reaction speed, intuition, ability to influence your opponent, all play a factor. The best equipment goes to whomever s best that day. The same man doesn't always win; maybe he wakes up on the wrong side of bed, or maybe it just isn't his day. Luck's a factor, but if you live long enough, you'll learn luck is a skill just like anything else. Now I'll show you something nice."
Barry put down his braid work and clenched then loosened his trembling fingers. "You know Fourth Battalion rules for rock-paper-scissors? Three rounds of three, your hand must show on every beat of - well, you're new so we'll make it easy - the capacitor recharge time of a force ion beam. Field pilots would know who won on the fly, but I expect you rookies are a bit slow on the uptake. So remember your nine plays so we can compare notes later. Focus. The beat's like this - onetwothreefourfivesix, got it? On count of three, now, one - two - three."
A moment later my eyes were tearing up, my cheeks were stinging, and someone's boot was on my left hand. My three squad mates weren't doing much better, and Barry was laughing as he finished the last of his hand signs. "That's how it's done in the Fourth Battalion, rookies, only faster and harder. A lot more fun than the kiddie version, don't you think? We'll do it rookie-style without the fisticuffs, then. Remember your plays. On count of three, now, one - two - three."
Our hands flashed in the center of the transport. I lost track of everyone's plays, but I remembered what I'd played. Barry, though, pointed to each of us in turn after it was over and called out each of our plays, getting every one right. Barry leaned back and gave us that crooked grin again, looking at each of us in turn. "Doesn't seem to me you're too impressed. But if you think that's what I meant to impress you with - not even close." He picked up his braid work in a shaky hand. "See here? You know how to read Morse code, right? Look close. What do you see?"
When we looked closely we saw what he meant. The braid work had variations. Nothing too obvious, but anyone knowing what to look for would see the dot and dash pattern of Morse code. There, in the braidwork, was a record of the plays we had just made!
Barry smiled and said "There now! What do you think of that!" He looked to each of us in turn expectantly. There was an awkward silence, and his face fell. Then he said quietly "You . . . you think it's a trick! A cheap trick!" His face flushed, and his voice rose in anger. "As if I would - " then he paused, and laughed. He was having us on!
"You didn't really think I'd try to impress you with a feat of memory any good mech pilot could do, or a trick any street magician could replicate. Come now, what do you take me for? I'm disappointed, sadly disappointed by your lack of faith. No, I said I'd show you something nice. I guarantee you'll be impressed." He winked, took a folded piece of paper from inside his pants pocket and handed it to me. "Hold on to that a moment. No, not in your hand. Put it in your mouth." He took more folded pieces of paper from inside his pocket, handing one to each member of the squad. We sat there feeling a bit stupid, with waxy papery tastes in our mouths.
"We'll play another round of nine. No fisticuffs, I want you to pay close attention this time, no distractions. Remember what you play. Same beat, onetwothreefourfivesix, nice and quick. Got the beat? Ready? On three, one - two - three!"
Our hands flashed out, and that's when it happened. Each of us played rock at the same moment, then rock, then paper, then scissors - each of us playing the exact same play as everyone else, nine times in a row. Lee laughed, Penn swore, Harris just cocked an eyebrow in that way of hers.
Submitted by Jim Lee#843365
"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age." - H.P. Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulu"
CHAPTER ONE
This is a transcript of the Commencement address delivered by Jake "Red Jack" Klimt, Second Battalion Commander of Griffon Knight Legion, on June 14, 3299.
As cadets, your teachers were the finest engineers and combat veterans in the Eastern Spiral. But three years as field jacks have taught you there's a lot more to learning than books and lecture halls. Some things can only be learned by experience.
I'm here to share one of those experiences, a story that starts twenty nine years ago. I was a raw cadet at this fine institution. My squad was assigned as honor guard to Barry "Big Boy" Smathers, one of the great pilots and commanders of his generation. He'd been retired for six years by the time I met him, but it might have been sixty. You wouldn't have guessed he was a legend to meet him. He was just a nice old man, always nodding his head gently, and braiding things with those trembly hands of his.
Barry wasn't one to stand on ceremony, and it wasn't long before he was one of the boys. He'd tell funny stories about stuff he'd seen and done, though he'd get real solemn and quiet sometimes. It wasn't memories bothering him; he wasn't the sort. No, it was something else. The day he gated offworld, I asked him what it was.
We were all in the armored transport on our way to the off world gate. Barry leaned over a bit and gave us that crooked grin he'd always give right before telling a real whopper. Then he said in a low voice, "Well, boys and girl" - there was a young lady on our squad then - "it's not a story I'm in the habit of telling, mind. But I think you can be trusted." He gave us a slow wink then leaned back, his hands working away at that ever-present braid work.
What I'm about to tell you is Barry's story, word for word, as best I remember it.
==
The armored transport squeaked cheerily on as Barry began his story. "It's hard to explain exactly what's been bothering me. Like Polyphemus in Homer's Odyssey, nothing is bothering me. There's nothing I can identify. But I know what I know.
Six years ago, I was shot in the head at Falcon's Landing. You've probably seen the propaganda vids, or maybe the movie - eighteen brave pilots, sacrificing themselves to protect the civilian evacuation against the full might of Gyger Claw's army, the commander, shot in the head and left for dead. Of course, that's not really what happened at all. But that's a story best left for another day.
Anyways, the damage to my brain made me see things differently. Or maybe I still see the same, but my brain doesn't interpret what I see the same way it used to. Call it what you will, the doctors had some name for it, but I don't think even they really knew what it was. It wasn't that I was hallucinating, it was something else - something they couldn't explain and that I don't like to talk about, because it reminds me of - well, I'll get to that in a bit. First I'll show you what I mean about my brain working differently.
You know when mechs are damaged and surplus pilots need to pilot what's available, tradition is playing rock-paper-scissors for first pick. There's good reason for that. Reaction speed, intuition, ability to influence your opponent, all play a factor. The best equipment goes to whomever s best that day. The same man doesn't always win; maybe he wakes up on the wrong side of bed, or maybe it just isn't his day. Luck's a factor, but if you live long enough, you'll learn luck is a skill just like anything else. Now I'll show you something nice."
Barry put down his braid work and clenched then loosened his trembling fingers. "You know Fourth Battalion rules for rock-paper-scissors? Three rounds of three, your hand must show on every beat of - well, you're new so we'll make it easy - the capacitor recharge time of a force ion beam. Field pilots would know who won on the fly, but I expect you rookies are a bit slow on the uptake. So remember your nine plays so we can compare notes later. Focus. The beat's like this - onetwothreefourfivesix, got it? On count of three, now, one - two - three."
A moment later my eyes were tearing up, my cheeks were stinging, and someone's boot was on my left hand. My three squad mates weren't doing much better, and Barry was laughing as he finished the last of his hand signs. "That's how it's done in the Fourth Battalion, rookies, only faster and harder. A lot more fun than the kiddie version, don't you think? We'll do it rookie-style without the fisticuffs, then. Remember your plays. On count of three, now, one - two - three."
Our hands flashed in the center of the transport. I lost track of everyone's plays, but I remembered what I'd played. Barry, though, pointed to each of us in turn after it was over and called out each of our plays, getting every one right. Barry leaned back and gave us that crooked grin again, looking at each of us in turn. "Doesn't seem to me you're too impressed. But if you think that's what I meant to impress you with - not even close." He picked up his braid work in a shaky hand. "See here? You know how to read Morse code, right? Look close. What do you see?"
When we looked closely we saw what he meant. The braid work had variations. Nothing too obvious, but anyone knowing what to look for would see the dot and dash pattern of Morse code. There, in the braidwork, was a record of the plays we had just made!
Barry smiled and said "There now! What do you think of that!" He looked to each of us in turn expectantly. There was an awkward silence, and his face fell. Then he said quietly "You . . . you think it's a trick! A cheap trick!" His face flushed, and his voice rose in anger. "As if I would - " then he paused, and laughed. He was having us on!
"You didn't really think I'd try to impress you with a feat of memory any good mech pilot could do, or a trick any street magician could replicate. Come now, what do you take me for? I'm disappointed, sadly disappointed by your lack of faith. No, I said I'd show you something nice. I guarantee you'll be impressed." He winked, took a folded piece of paper from inside his pants pocket and handed it to me. "Hold on to that a moment. No, not in your hand. Put it in your mouth." He took more folded pieces of paper from inside his pocket, handing one to each member of the squad. We sat there feeling a bit stupid, with waxy papery tastes in our mouths.
"We'll play another round of nine. No fisticuffs, I want you to pay close attention this time, no distractions. Remember what you play. Same beat, onetwothreefourfivesix, nice and quick. Got the beat? Ready? On three, one - two - three!"
Our hands flashed out, and that's when it happened. Each of us played rock at the same moment, then rock, then paper, then scissors - each of us playing the exact same play as everyone else, nine times in a row. Lee laughed, Penn swore, Harris just cocked an eyebrow in that way of hers.
Submitted by Jim Lee#843365
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Mechulhu Fantasy Mecha
Piloted not by a human, drone or clone but by the disembodied reanimated mad brain of power-hungry Kellek, this 100 ton engine of destruction is the grandest weapon, the crown plague jewel of the NoRunner Legion. Worked on diligently and in secret a bit at a time for thousands of years by secret technomancer occultists for the fanatics over in the Negaverse, this tentacle faced behemoth was intended to lay siege on our universe. Lumbering and beyond huge, it gives even Drochah pause. No one is exactly sure what kind of weapons it houses since nobody to date has gotten close enough to the massive secret bunker in which it was being built. At least, they have not ventured close enough and escaped alive.
What strange warped thoughts are held by the pilot? This is anyone's guess since the last thing he'd done prior to his first "death" was corrupt an entire civilization. To get yanked back from the brink though and slung into a future where the majority of the populace have for generations worshiped you as a God... it would be difficult not to let this go to your head. What mental faculties of it may remain. I'm pretty sure the primary thought in Kellek's freeze-dried mummy-mind remains is going to just be "KILL!".
Submitted by Mycobacter of Samurai Mecha#712744
What strange warped thoughts are held by the pilot? This is anyone's guess since the last thing he'd done prior to his first "death" was corrupt an entire civilization. To get yanked back from the brink though and slung into a future where the majority of the populace have for generations worshiped you as a God... it would be difficult not to let this go to your head. What mental faculties of it may remain. I'm pretty sure the primary thought in Kellek's freeze-dried mummy-mind remains is going to just be "KILL!".
Submitted by Mycobacter of Samurai Mecha#712744
A Little Bit Of Everywhere
I've been a bit less present as of late but you'll have to forgive me. Between participation in this latest Faction War, contracting some detective and bounty hunter assignments out to Metal over at Cogwerk Port as well as exploring the edges of an unknown parallel universe with Drake... I've been quite busy. I even managed to go and renew some of my genetic engineer certifications through a governing body on Novum Dolorum.
However, you never know where in this universe or admittedly, among who in other universes you may end up making friends with. At present there is an [Un]Holy crusade kind of a civil war of sorts going on in the Negaverse between moderate group anti-humans
and a highly ambitious extremist fanatic faction that wishes to mobilize forces to begin conquering and colonization of our universe.
Drake and I, as well as Patrick are doing our best within our power to prevent this from happening. It's a tricky job though, and involves about as much diplomacy as it has brute force. Back to friends... The moderate antihumans... which is what one calls the highly mutated former playthings that have been discarded by the Norunners and their descendents, rather than wanting to conquer our universe... have expressed some interest in setting a sort of an embassy or consulate. Since Kellek, upon whose "teachings" the Antihuman religion was more or less based himself was a Meijiian it makes sense that the first of these delegations would like to establish contact with the Emperor of Shogunate Space.
In the coming days, if you see what looks at first glance to be a hideous deformed monster that is equal parts zombie, cyborg and sports devolved animal features... before blasting it back to the Hell you assume it to have came from, try talking to it. Yithson, Gom and Zeteg as well as Toto and her other ratpeople would sooner establish trade or a cross-cultural exhange than have you for breakfast or harvest your bodyparts for fiendish experiments. If on the other hand, you have come across the Hierophant or his hellish horde, the Norunner Legion... by all means please blast away. Shatter them to kingdom come. The sake of the two connected universes depends on it!
Submitted by Mycobacter of Samurai Mecha:#712744
However, you never know where in this universe or admittedly, among who in other universes you may end up making friends with. At present there is an [Un]Holy crusade kind of a civil war of sorts going on in the Negaverse between moderate group anti-humans
and a highly ambitious extremist fanatic faction that wishes to mobilize forces to begin conquering and colonization of our universe.
Drake and I, as well as Patrick are doing our best within our power to prevent this from happening. It's a tricky job though, and involves about as much diplomacy as it has brute force. Back to friends... The moderate antihumans... which is what one calls the highly mutated former playthings that have been discarded by the Norunners and their descendents, rather than wanting to conquer our universe... have expressed some interest in setting a sort of an embassy or consulate. Since Kellek, upon whose "teachings" the Antihuman religion was more or less based himself was a Meijiian it makes sense that the first of these delegations would like to establish contact with the Emperor of Shogunate Space.
In the coming days, if you see what looks at first glance to be a hideous deformed monster that is equal parts zombie, cyborg and sports devolved animal features... before blasting it back to the Hell you assume it to have came from, try talking to it. Yithson, Gom and Zeteg as well as Toto and her other ratpeople would sooner establish trade or a cross-cultural exhange than have you for breakfast or harvest your bodyparts for fiendish experiments. If on the other hand, you have come across the Hierophant or his hellish horde, the Norunner Legion... by all means please blast away. Shatter them to kingdom come. The sake of the two connected universes depends on it!
Submitted by Mycobacter of Samurai Mecha:#712744
Monday, October 27, 2014
The Frenemy Of My Frenemy Is My End
Mollliere Daffue and I have an at times friendly rivalry... which becomes apparent to observers in KOTM as we often find ourselves vying for ranks within the Top 10 of the same division. However, in sparring against each other on the competition field so very often, he and I had observed a few things. Things that might be profitable to other pilots, in addition to ourselves. So we got some of our best men out to talking to our contacts in Rapture Systems, Conflagration Industries, Nifleheim Technologies and those Cogwerk Guild giants the Bombardier Projectile Société Arme à Feu and Grenadier Système Socialiste and he and I are going to put our heads together to try and design some of the most cutting edge of next gen weaponry so try to keep your head on your shoulders because its about to spin.
Any two-bit would be conqueror can create a shark equipped with lasers but how many of them can fire a shark made out of lasers at an opponent? Oh the humanity!
It takes at least an 8-bit warlord to send forth a gun that shoots smaller guns, right?
And what about laser guided laser weapons?
He and I believe that with a little engineering know-how and the products of those companies' applied research we could improve on the old Fury Tech and come up new types of cannons ... or might (if you're nice and lucky) go a step further and tighten the guidance controls of swarm missiles to come up with high precision "surgical strike" bombs that are rockets which deploy smaller but highly concentrated driller mines.
Submitted by Mycobacter of Samurai Mecha, Mollier Daffue #712744, #599258
Any two-bit would be conqueror can create a shark equipped with lasers but how many of them can fire a shark made out of lasers at an opponent? Oh the humanity!
It takes at least an 8-bit warlord to send forth a gun that shoots smaller guns, right?
And what about laser guided laser weapons?
He and I believe that with a little engineering know-how and the products of those companies' applied research we could improve on the old Fury Tech and come up new types of cannons ... or might (if you're nice and lucky) go a step further and tighten the guidance controls of swarm missiles to come up with high precision "surgical strike" bombs that are rockets which deploy smaller but highly concentrated driller mines.
Submitted by Mycobacter of Samurai Mecha, Mollier Daffue #712744, #599258
The Date Chapter 6
The girls take the boys to a swank Latino club. It has the traditional colors and ambiance, with soft candlelight at each table, carefully arranged around a large circular dance floor. As they let the girls in first, Woodman quietly tells Woody, “I can’t dance.” Woody looks at him in surprise, “Really? … Well just tell her when she asks – Don’t make up some stupid excuse.” “K buddy.” Woodman replies. As the night goes on, they finish what has to be the best meal of their lives. Woody stands up abruptly, and takes Kalli’s hand. Without hesitation, “Come … “, as he gently pulls her from her seat and leads her to the dance floor. “Woody … there’s no music.” Kalli observes. “Wait for it,” Woody says. The sound of a lone drum begins, “Boom boom boom”, then the rest of the band joins in. Woody breaks into a slow sexy movement, sweeping Kalli off her feet, his shoulders directing her upper body, one of his hands on her waist moving her into the right direction and position.
As he moves her around the floor, their bodies push up against each other and then promptly snap away again. As the song comes to an end, Woody gently lowers her as her back arches in response, slowly dipping her and gazing into her eyes - it looks like he's moving in to kiss her but then stops just millimetres from her quivering lips. Just then, he snaps her upright as the song ends. The place erupts with cheers and clapping. She attempts to compose herself as she comes back to reality and realizes there’s an audience. For a moment, she felt like they were alone in a void of music. She’s never felt like that before. This boy just brought her to the point of ecstasy with the most sensual dance she’s ever had. “Wow!!!...” Kalli exclaims. “I didn’t know I could move like that.” “You’re a very good dancer,” Woody tells her. “... and it was my pleasure.” Kalli confides, blushing slightly, “No..., the pleasure was all mine.” As they return to their table, Woodman pipes up, “Damn ... I had no idea you could dance like THAT,” after Woody brings Kalli back to her seat.
“Years of mandatory dance classes.” Woody smirks. “… Never thought I would need them. Guess it paid off. “ he laughs. “In spades." Woodman agrees. "We were all on the edge of our seats. The whole place seemed to stop – Even the waiters watched you guys.” Woodman says. Jen leans over to Kalli, “Are you ok? … It looked pretty intense.” Kalli turns to her, “You have NO idea how intense…” she whispers. Jen exclaims, “Wow! … Really?” “Oh yeah.” Jen continues, “Damn … wonder if he can cook!” Jen laughs. Kalli takes a deep breath, lets it out, then joins the laughter. The atmosphere of the club has changed, as everyone has lightened up. People begin to fill the dance floor. The night moves on as the two couples eventually hit the dance floor and start to really have fun. Closing time arrives all too soon for the four of them. When they eventually make it out to their E.B, Woody gently takes Kalli’s ID card and sits in the driver’s seat with no objections.
Woody drives the girls to their hanger. The boys help the girls up the stairs and to their room. Part way up, Woody scoops Kalli up and carries her to her bed, tucking her in. She’s fast asleep. “C’mon Woodman, let’s go … We have a bit of a walk,” Woody says. Woodman and Jen are out cold on her bed. “Oh boy … Woodman! … get UP!" Woody pulls him up and scoops him into a fireman’s carry before bringing him into the shower. He turns the valve and no sooner than the cold water hits Woodman, he jumps up and out of the shower. “What’s THAT for man?!” Woodman shouts. Woody says, “C’mon .. we’ve gotta walk back.” As the boys drag themselves home, Woody realizes they've got five hours to sleep before they have to get up. ‘Tomorrow’s going to be rough,’ Woody thinks to himself and realizes that this is it … he finally has a place he can call home.
Submitted by Woodman 1201# 832644
As he moves her around the floor, their bodies push up against each other and then promptly snap away again. As the song comes to an end, Woody gently lowers her as her back arches in response, slowly dipping her and gazing into her eyes - it looks like he's moving in to kiss her but then stops just millimetres from her quivering lips. Just then, he snaps her upright as the song ends. The place erupts with cheers and clapping. She attempts to compose herself as she comes back to reality and realizes there’s an audience. For a moment, she felt like they were alone in a void of music. She’s never felt like that before. This boy just brought her to the point of ecstasy with the most sensual dance she’s ever had. “Wow!!!...” Kalli exclaims. “I didn’t know I could move like that.” “You’re a very good dancer,” Woody tells her. “... and it was my pleasure.” Kalli confides, blushing slightly, “No..., the pleasure was all mine.” As they return to their table, Woodman pipes up, “Damn ... I had no idea you could dance like THAT,” after Woody brings Kalli back to her seat.
“Years of mandatory dance classes.” Woody smirks. “… Never thought I would need them. Guess it paid off. “ he laughs. “In spades." Woodman agrees. "We were all on the edge of our seats. The whole place seemed to stop – Even the waiters watched you guys.” Woodman says. Jen leans over to Kalli, “Are you ok? … It looked pretty intense.” Kalli turns to her, “You have NO idea how intense…” she whispers. Jen exclaims, “Wow! … Really?” “Oh yeah.” Jen continues, “Damn … wonder if he can cook!” Jen laughs. Kalli takes a deep breath, lets it out, then joins the laughter. The atmosphere of the club has changed, as everyone has lightened up. People begin to fill the dance floor. The night moves on as the two couples eventually hit the dance floor and start to really have fun. Closing time arrives all too soon for the four of them. When they eventually make it out to their E.B, Woody gently takes Kalli’s ID card and sits in the driver’s seat with no objections.
Woody drives the girls to their hanger. The boys help the girls up the stairs and to their room. Part way up, Woody scoops Kalli up and carries her to her bed, tucking her in. She’s fast asleep. “C’mon Woodman, let’s go … We have a bit of a walk,” Woody says. Woodman and Jen are out cold on her bed. “Oh boy … Woodman! … get UP!" Woody pulls him up and scoops him into a fireman’s carry before bringing him into the shower. He turns the valve and no sooner than the cold water hits Woodman, he jumps up and out of the shower. “What’s THAT for man?!” Woodman shouts. Woody says, “C’mon .. we’ve gotta walk back.” As the boys drag themselves home, Woody realizes they've got five hours to sleep before they have to get up. ‘Tomorrow’s going to be rough,’ Woody thinks to himself and realizes that this is it … he finally has a place he can call home.
Submitted by Woodman 1201# 832644
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Expectations Chapter 5
“Make yourselves at home boys. Give us twenty minutes, ok?” Kalli said. “Wow! They both pilot Warhorses. Check it out bud… They have a decent amount of upgrades. They should be a formidable team.” Woodman points out. “Stop snooping!” Woody says. “I’m not snooping – I’m admiring their handy work. Yeah … look, they’re two completely different set ups. This one is set up to be a bruiser – a lot of defensive and power. I bet it’s Jen’s. This one is set up for speed and fast attacks. This HAS to be Kalli’s.” Woodman concludes. “Good observation Road Runner!” Jen chimes in. Woodman looks up at the catwalk and sees Jen in a black pleated mini skirt that shows off her nicely tanned legs, with a dark purple blouse that shows just enough skin, and her blond hair coming down over her shoulders. Woodman is stunned by the transformation. He pauses and takes a deep breath. “WOW … you look absolutely stunning,” Woodman says. “Thanks Woodman. Kalli will be right down.” Jen says. “I would hug you but I don’t want to get you all greasy,” Woodman says as he chuckles. Jen joins the laughter. “What’s so funny?” Woody stands up and peers up the staircase.
With the bright light behind her, all he sees is a silhouette that appears to be an angel. As she descends the staircase, he begins to see her. She is wearing a beautiful light yellow floral print sundress that just finishes above the knee showing off her beautifully freckled legs. As his gaze moves northward, he notices a simple necklace embraced by her cleavage and her long red hair, flowing past her shoulders and over her chest. “Oh my God … you’re beautiful!” Woody blurts out. Kalli giggles. “Thanks Woody,” as the boys stand speechless gawking at their dates. Kalli says, “Ok boys, let’s go.” The boys shake their heads slightly, as though waking from a trance. “Yeah yeah … let’s go.” Woodman replies. Woody rushes forward and gets the door. “Thanks Woody,” Kalli says. “After you,” Woody replies. As Woodman passes Woody, he puts his fist comically in his mouth, and Woody gives a nod, and mouths ‘I know’.
To the boys’ surprise, both girls sit in the front of the E.B – The boys shrug their shoulders at each other and climb in. No sooner than their butts hit the seat, Kalli floors it. Seconds later, you hear two clicks of seat belts hastily locking. The girls laugh out loud. Before they know it, they’re at their hanger. “Ladies, make yourselves at home. Careful you don’t trip – There’s Mech parts everywhere.” Woody warns. As the boys disappear upstairs, the girls carefully move around their Mechs. Jen softly say, “Wish I could poke around in their Mechs, but don’t want to get dirty,” as she lets out a soft chortle. “I know,” Kalli joins in. Meanwhile, Woodman is panicking. “Dude! … I don’t have any fancy clothes – Just casual stuff.” “Hey bud, it’s ok … I got you covered. Here … try this.” Woody hands Woodman a black suit and purple necktie.
“Thanks man … I owe you.” Woodman says thankfully. “Nah … what are best friends for.” Woodman disappears into the bathroom. Woody rushes off to his in the next room, towel in hand. Meanwhile, Kalli moves to the other end of the room. Jen asks, “What are you doing?”, as she gets up and follows. “Shhh! … be quiet!” Kalli whispers. Five minutes later, Woody comes rushing out of the room, with a towel that is a half cheek too small to wrap around himself. As Woody disappears into the next room, Jen turns to Kalli with a big smile, “You dirty sneaky girl. Now that’s a NICE handful you’ve got there.”, as they both move quickly back to their seats, Kalli all the while grinning ear to ear. Several minutes later, Woody is first out and making his way down the stairs.
As she looks up the stairs, she sees him and rises to greet him. His dark olive green pants hug his slim waist and as her eyes move up, she notices that his large chest fills the double breasted suit jacket perfectly accessorized with a light yellow floral printed tie. She then peers up at his face, and stylish dark brown hair. She thinks to herself, ‘Damn! … He cleans up nice,’ but blurts out instead, “Wow, don’t you look handsome!” “Thanks Kalli,” Woody says giving her a hug. As they embrace, Woody takes a whiff of her peach smelling hair. Kalli closes her eyes, feeling the strength in his shoulders pulling her close. The moment seemed to last forever. All of a sudden, “Hey guys … “ as Woodman makes his way down the stairs. Jen quickly gets to her feet and looks up at Woodman with his light brown hair with blond streaks. She notices his purple tie against his black jacket and how it fitted his slim figure. Jen exclaims, “DAMN you clean up nice!” she laughs. “Thanks,” he chuckles back. Woodman reaches for her hand and gently kisses it. As Jen lets out a slight sigh, Kalli says, “C’mon … we know the perfect spot eh Jen?” “Yep … let’s go.” Jen says.
Submitted by Woodman 1201# 832644
With the bright light behind her, all he sees is a silhouette that appears to be an angel. As she descends the staircase, he begins to see her. She is wearing a beautiful light yellow floral print sundress that just finishes above the knee showing off her beautifully freckled legs. As his gaze moves northward, he notices a simple necklace embraced by her cleavage and her long red hair, flowing past her shoulders and over her chest. “Oh my God … you’re beautiful!” Woody blurts out. Kalli giggles. “Thanks Woody,” as the boys stand speechless gawking at their dates. Kalli says, “Ok boys, let’s go.” The boys shake their heads slightly, as though waking from a trance. “Yeah yeah … let’s go.” Woodman replies. Woody rushes forward and gets the door. “Thanks Woody,” Kalli says. “After you,” Woody replies. As Woodman passes Woody, he puts his fist comically in his mouth, and Woody gives a nod, and mouths ‘I know’.
To the boys’ surprise, both girls sit in the front of the E.B – The boys shrug their shoulders at each other and climb in. No sooner than their butts hit the seat, Kalli floors it. Seconds later, you hear two clicks of seat belts hastily locking. The girls laugh out loud. Before they know it, they’re at their hanger. “Ladies, make yourselves at home. Careful you don’t trip – There’s Mech parts everywhere.” Woody warns. As the boys disappear upstairs, the girls carefully move around their Mechs. Jen softly say, “Wish I could poke around in their Mechs, but don’t want to get dirty,” as she lets out a soft chortle. “I know,” Kalli joins in. Meanwhile, Woodman is panicking. “Dude! … I don’t have any fancy clothes – Just casual stuff.” “Hey bud, it’s ok … I got you covered. Here … try this.” Woody hands Woodman a black suit and purple necktie.
“Thanks man … I owe you.” Woodman says thankfully. “Nah … what are best friends for.” Woodman disappears into the bathroom. Woody rushes off to his in the next room, towel in hand. Meanwhile, Kalli moves to the other end of the room. Jen asks, “What are you doing?”, as she gets up and follows. “Shhh! … be quiet!” Kalli whispers. Five minutes later, Woody comes rushing out of the room, with a towel that is a half cheek too small to wrap around himself. As Woody disappears into the next room, Jen turns to Kalli with a big smile, “You dirty sneaky girl. Now that’s a NICE handful you’ve got there.”, as they both move quickly back to their seats, Kalli all the while grinning ear to ear. Several minutes later, Woody is first out and making his way down the stairs.
As she looks up the stairs, she sees him and rises to greet him. His dark olive green pants hug his slim waist and as her eyes move up, she notices that his large chest fills the double breasted suit jacket perfectly accessorized with a light yellow floral printed tie. She then peers up at his face, and stylish dark brown hair. She thinks to herself, ‘Damn! … He cleans up nice,’ but blurts out instead, “Wow, don’t you look handsome!” “Thanks Kalli,” Woody says giving her a hug. As they embrace, Woody takes a whiff of her peach smelling hair. Kalli closes her eyes, feeling the strength in his shoulders pulling her close. The moment seemed to last forever. All of a sudden, “Hey guys … “ as Woodman makes his way down the stairs. Jen quickly gets to her feet and looks up at Woodman with his light brown hair with blond streaks. She notices his purple tie against his black jacket and how it fitted his slim figure. Jen exclaims, “DAMN you clean up nice!” she laughs. “Thanks,” he chuckles back. Woodman reaches for her hand and gently kisses it. As Jen lets out a slight sigh, Kalli says, “C’mon … we know the perfect spot eh Jen?” “Yep … let’s go.” Jen says.
Submitted by Woodman 1201# 832644
Introductions Chapter 4
As they work their way to the far end of the bay, they realize they’re seeing Mechs they’ve never seen before. “Holy CRAP! … Look at the size of these things Woody!” exclaims Woodman. “Yep … some day we’ll be in these.” says Woody. “You bet bud.” All of a sudden they hear, “Over here guys!...” as Kalli waves them over. “Hey, who’s the blond with her?” Woodman asks. “Don’t know, but I’m sure you’ll find out.” Woody says. “Don’t you know it … I’m all over that!” laughs Woodman. “Guy s, this is Jen.” Kalli says with a smile. “Hi boys … They call me Hornet.”
“Nice to meet you!” Woodman replies. He reaches out and Jen places her hand in his – He pulls her a bit closer. “Likewise!” she says tightening her grip enough for him to notice. Kalli chimes in, “Ok guys, we have a lot of work to do. Jen? … you and Woodman can work on the Anzu, and Woody and I will tackle the Shocklite. Ok, we have until 5pm to finish up so let’s get moving!” They head over to their assigned Mechs and quickly get to work – the boys are serious and there isn’t much talking going on. Time is flying by. Before they know it, a loud horn sounds and Kalli yells out, “Lunch break!” As they all meet on the floor and start walking to the cafeteria, Kalli asks, “Soooo Jen… How’s it going?” “We’re almost done! …Woodman really knows his way around a Mech and he’s good with his hands.” Kalli chuckles, “Seems we got lucky.” Meanwhile, the boys are having a discussion of their own. “Dude … We have SO lucked out!” Woodman exclaims. “We have the best jobs in the world and we’re getting paid to do what we love, not to mention the perks!” “What perks?” Woody asks.
“Dude!!! ... Just the hottest chicks our own age that we just so happen to be paired up with. Helloooo???” Woodman blurts. “Guess I’m just not used to this – I’ve spent most of my time by myself.” Woody explains. “Well not anymore bud!” Woodman concludes with a sly smile. “Thanks man … guess we really DO have it good eh? … and they ARE hot aren’t they? I just never thought I’d be looking at khaki green coveralls that way but DAMN, they fill them nicely!” Woody says. “You got THAT right!”, Woodman agrees as they pick up the pace to catch up to the girls. After a non-eventful lunch, the teams return to work and by 4pm, both pairs are done. “K guys, let’s get them cleaned up.” Kalli says as she grabs a phone and calls Blade. “Yep, they’re both ready … Can we get them cleared to move them to the wash bays? Ok. Thank you sir.” She hangs up. “Ok Jen … you pilot the Anzu, and I’ll get the Shocklite. Boys, head down the hall to the cleanup bay and we’ll meet you there.”, Kalli yells over her shoulder. They see their Mechs come to life and slowly move out of the hanger. The boys go to the cleanup bay and watch as the Mechs enter a large car wash like room. There isn’t anything for them to do, so they start discussing Woody’s Mech and what modifications they’re going to make.
Woody asks , “Should we invite the girls over tonight?” “Wow … You move FAST!”, Woodman chortles. “NO NO!... that’s not what I meant!” Woody stutters. “I know bud, just teasing! You have to let loose a little man … you’re all wound up! Let me think … I know. We could take them out to dinner and then go back to work on my Mech. Sound like a plan?” Woodman asks. “Sure thing … sounds good and the parts should be in. Ok cool … that’s the plan.” From the cleaning bays the girls move the Mechs over to the holding bays. By the time the girls head back to the cleaning bay and the boys, their shift has ended. “C’mon boys … shift’s over, gotta punch out.” Kalli says. As they walk back Woody pipes up unexpectedly, “Hey… How would you ladies like to join us for dinner?” The girls look at each other. “Sure, but there’s just one problem … we live at the far end of the base. Do you boys mind if we stop at our hanger to get ready? Then we could stop at your hanger and wait for you. We could all head out do dinner together.” Woodman cuts in … “No problem, sounds good.” As they pass Blade’s office to punch out, he steps out, “Good job team! So, Kalli … How did the boys do?” “GREAT sir!” she exclaims.
“So I take it you approve of your new crew?”, he continues. “Yes sir! … they’re a great fit sir, and just what we needed.” Kalli says with a bright smile. “Good to hear,” Blade says. “Have a good night Kalli.” “You too sir.” They all pile into Kalli’s E.B and the boys quickly fasten their seat belts. Jen laughs, “Looks like you’ve driven with Speedy already. That’s Kalli’s call sign, and mine’s Hornet.” “Speedy and Hornet… cool.” Woody replies. “So what call signs do you boys have?” Jen asks. “We don’t have any.” he says. “No no no … that ‘s no good. We don’t use real names here. Woodman … you can be ‘Road Runner’ and Woody … you can be ‘Coyote’.”, she says. “I like it!” Woodman exclaims. “Ok then.” Woody murmurs and in no time at all, they arrive at the girls’ hanger.
Submitted by Woodman 1201 # 832644
“Nice to meet you!” Woodman replies. He reaches out and Jen places her hand in his – He pulls her a bit closer. “Likewise!” she says tightening her grip enough for him to notice. Kalli chimes in, “Ok guys, we have a lot of work to do. Jen? … you and Woodman can work on the Anzu, and Woody and I will tackle the Shocklite. Ok, we have until 5pm to finish up so let’s get moving!” They head over to their assigned Mechs and quickly get to work – the boys are serious and there isn’t much talking going on. Time is flying by. Before they know it, a loud horn sounds and Kalli yells out, “Lunch break!” As they all meet on the floor and start walking to the cafeteria, Kalli asks, “Soooo Jen… How’s it going?” “We’re almost done! …Woodman really knows his way around a Mech and he’s good with his hands.” Kalli chuckles, “Seems we got lucky.” Meanwhile, the boys are having a discussion of their own. “Dude … We have SO lucked out!” Woodman exclaims. “We have the best jobs in the world and we’re getting paid to do what we love, not to mention the perks!” “What perks?” Woody asks.
“Dude!!! ... Just the hottest chicks our own age that we just so happen to be paired up with. Helloooo???” Woodman blurts. “Guess I’m just not used to this – I’ve spent most of my time by myself.” Woody explains. “Well not anymore bud!” Woodman concludes with a sly smile. “Thanks man … guess we really DO have it good eh? … and they ARE hot aren’t they? I just never thought I’d be looking at khaki green coveralls that way but DAMN, they fill them nicely!” Woody says. “You got THAT right!”, Woodman agrees as they pick up the pace to catch up to the girls. After a non-eventful lunch, the teams return to work and by 4pm, both pairs are done. “K guys, let’s get them cleaned up.” Kalli says as she grabs a phone and calls Blade. “Yep, they’re both ready … Can we get them cleared to move them to the wash bays? Ok. Thank you sir.” She hangs up. “Ok Jen … you pilot the Anzu, and I’ll get the Shocklite. Boys, head down the hall to the cleanup bay and we’ll meet you there.”, Kalli yells over her shoulder. They see their Mechs come to life and slowly move out of the hanger. The boys go to the cleanup bay and watch as the Mechs enter a large car wash like room. There isn’t anything for them to do, so they start discussing Woody’s Mech and what modifications they’re going to make.
Woody asks , “Should we invite the girls over tonight?” “Wow … You move FAST!”, Woodman chortles. “NO NO!... that’s not what I meant!” Woody stutters. “I know bud, just teasing! You have to let loose a little man … you’re all wound up! Let me think … I know. We could take them out to dinner and then go back to work on my Mech. Sound like a plan?” Woodman asks. “Sure thing … sounds good and the parts should be in. Ok cool … that’s the plan.” From the cleaning bays the girls move the Mechs over to the holding bays. By the time the girls head back to the cleaning bay and the boys, their shift has ended. “C’mon boys … shift’s over, gotta punch out.” Kalli says. As they walk back Woody pipes up unexpectedly, “Hey… How would you ladies like to join us for dinner?” The girls look at each other. “Sure, but there’s just one problem … we live at the far end of the base. Do you boys mind if we stop at our hanger to get ready? Then we could stop at your hanger and wait for you. We could all head out do dinner together.” Woodman cuts in … “No problem, sounds good.” As they pass Blade’s office to punch out, he steps out, “Good job team! So, Kalli … How did the boys do?” “GREAT sir!” she exclaims.
“So I take it you approve of your new crew?”, he continues. “Yes sir! … they’re a great fit sir, and just what we needed.” Kalli says with a bright smile. “Good to hear,” Blade says. “Have a good night Kalli.” “You too sir.” They all pile into Kalli’s E.B and the boys quickly fasten their seat belts. Jen laughs, “Looks like you’ve driven with Speedy already. That’s Kalli’s call sign, and mine’s Hornet.” “Speedy and Hornet… cool.” Woody replies. “So what call signs do you boys have?” Jen asks. “We don’t have any.” he says. “No no no … that ‘s no good. We don’t use real names here. Woodman … you can be ‘Road Runner’ and Woody … you can be ‘Coyote’.”, she says. “I like it!” Woodman exclaims. “Ok then.” Woody murmurs and in no time at all, they arrive at the girls’ hanger.
Submitted by Woodman 1201 # 832644
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Shiva's Trident Weapon Review
Today we're looking at another freeze weapon but this one is easy to get a hold of fairly early on as it requires only level 19 for its minimum. It will cost 460 Ferrite, 380 Bioptics, and 31 Niodes. As always there is a bulk buy option of 5 for 124 Niodes , as of the time of this writing there are 305 out of 350 left so grab em while you can. It has a Damage of 53, with a speed of 100, and has the abilities of Freeze at 6% with 2x Damage of 5%.
Not a bad little ice thrower really, decent speed and damage especially for being accessible at level 19. The abilities aren't huge but per usual right equipment set up and mech build will play heavily into how effective these weapons will be for their owners. I could even see a couple of these adorning a Freon or a Frigis quite easily, not to mention a Sever, there are many ice mech configurations out there and this weapon would fit any of them nicely. So get yours now before they are gone limited release weapons don't often come back around any time soon.
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Not a bad little ice thrower really, decent speed and damage especially for being accessible at level 19. The abilities aren't huge but per usual right equipment set up and mech build will play heavily into how effective these weapons will be for their owners. I could even see a couple of these adorning a Freon or a Frigis quite easily, not to mention a Sever, there are many ice mech configurations out there and this weapon would fit any of them nicely. So get yours now before they are gone limited release weapons don't often come back around any time soon.
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Throwing Out The Fridge, Preparation For Clan War XIX
Let me start by saying I've never fought the true Evil Santa. That is to say, I did fight and thoroughly thrash him, but that one was a clone during one of the times Serpentarius Alpha reared its multifaceted head, the kaiju teeth gnashing together crunching down on the steel hulls of unfortunate infantry fodder while simultaneously blasting fire, lasers and projectiles from every other orifice.
I did however, through a combination of friends in high places and favors owed by various gangsters manage to get my hands on an AI simulacrum of Evil Santa and was sitting in my workshop arguing with it. Or rather, it was arguing with me, belittling my attempts to improve his legacy, the Jottun mecha. I think part of it was that Evil Santa felt obsolete since he was... or at least the original was the result of a person having undergone cybernetic grafting surgically to integrate himself with Forerunner technology... whereas I had gone a newer and more organic route using biological vectors to grow forerunner tissue replacing my human skin.
The Holographic projection of the not-so-jolly old elf nitpicked his way through my equipment choices, saying given the opportunity he would have gone with a different arrangement. Asked himself aloud rhetorically what did I think I knew about how ice weapons worked. I chose to ignore this avatar however and continue tinkering in the hangar. Allowing it to run in the background and look at but not edit my load-out choices. It did pause its criticisms briefly as it got to the cockpit though... and seemed approving of my decision to use a modified version of the Laverty Wildcard. The Laverty Wildcard is a method of linking several stacked Betrus Processors in series so that they can work together to handle battlefield variables interdependently and was first popularized by Death's Joker himself in his Dilophos. See, for this upcoming Faction War my clan has allied itself with the AFF, and they were generous enough to loan me some of their tactical data records to work with. However, I was adapting the wildcard to an ice machine. Since the Jottun is already fairly fast for a mecha its size I decided I would not be utilizing a scoot and shoot build... At this the Little pocket boss AI resumed its picking apart my (as far as it saw) lack of reasoning. I set down my stylus and asked it if it was quite finished yet.
"Hohoho... you think you're ready to use a Jottun? It'll make your blood run cold. Fortunately when I was a cyborg I had my blood replaced with antifreeze."
"Just shut up and watch" I told it, coldly but somewhat amused, as I ran a tactical simulation for it to see. A Max Torque engine, Dark Matter Converter and two Indefinite Singularities combined with Advanced Alloys for the Chassis gives..."Holy cow, +39?!"
"Exactly Nick..." I replied under my breath. "Not done yet though, watch this"
The battery of White Knight ice blasters and three Crystallions provided suppressive fire slowing down my simulated opponent icing him up then two Frost Bosses and a Freezer Burn pulled off a pretty cool devastating finisher where the arms of my Jottun formed then stabbed the opposing mecha through with brinicles.
"Not bad for a neophyte." The AI of Evil Santa admitted in spite of his disposition. Then he regained composure and tried to sweep it under the rug. "Er, I mean, That's not a big deal! You think you're bad?! I'm the reason whole clans came to dread Christmas!" I smiled, letting the pocket boss keep ranting on my table as I continued to tinker with my Jottun Brumal through the night.
Submitted by Mycobacter#712744
I did however, through a combination of friends in high places and favors owed by various gangsters manage to get my hands on an AI simulacrum of Evil Santa and was sitting in my workshop arguing with it. Or rather, it was arguing with me, belittling my attempts to improve his legacy, the Jottun mecha. I think part of it was that Evil Santa felt obsolete since he was... or at least the original was the result of a person having undergone cybernetic grafting surgically to integrate himself with Forerunner technology... whereas I had gone a newer and more organic route using biological vectors to grow forerunner tissue replacing my human skin.
The Holographic projection of the not-so-jolly old elf nitpicked his way through my equipment choices, saying given the opportunity he would have gone with a different arrangement. Asked himself aloud rhetorically what did I think I knew about how ice weapons worked. I chose to ignore this avatar however and continue tinkering in the hangar. Allowing it to run in the background and look at but not edit my load-out choices. It did pause its criticisms briefly as it got to the cockpit though... and seemed approving of my decision to use a modified version of the Laverty Wildcard. The Laverty Wildcard is a method of linking several stacked Betrus Processors in series so that they can work together to handle battlefield variables interdependently and was first popularized by Death's Joker himself in his Dilophos. See, for this upcoming Faction War my clan has allied itself with the AFF, and they were generous enough to loan me some of their tactical data records to work with. However, I was adapting the wildcard to an ice machine. Since the Jottun is already fairly fast for a mecha its size I decided I would not be utilizing a scoot and shoot build... At this the Little pocket boss AI resumed its picking apart my (as far as it saw) lack of reasoning. I set down my stylus and asked it if it was quite finished yet.
"Hohoho... you think you're ready to use a Jottun? It'll make your blood run cold. Fortunately when I was a cyborg I had my blood replaced with antifreeze."
"Just shut up and watch" I told it, coldly but somewhat amused, as I ran a tactical simulation for it to see. A Max Torque engine, Dark Matter Converter and two Indefinite Singularities combined with Advanced Alloys for the Chassis gives..."Holy cow, +39?!"
"Exactly Nick..." I replied under my breath. "Not done yet though, watch this"
The battery of White Knight ice blasters and three Crystallions provided suppressive fire slowing down my simulated opponent icing him up then two Frost Bosses and a Freezer Burn pulled off a pretty cool devastating finisher where the arms of my Jottun formed then stabbed the opposing mecha through with brinicles.
"Not bad for a neophyte." The AI of Evil Santa admitted in spite of his disposition. Then he regained composure and tried to sweep it under the rug. "Er, I mean, That's not a big deal! You think you're bad?! I'm the reason whole clans came to dread Christmas!" I smiled, letting the pocket boss keep ranting on my table as I continued to tinker with my Jottun Brumal through the night.
Submitted by Mycobacter#712744
Friday, October 24, 2014
Helios Forge Weapon Review
A new fire weapon for the big boys and girls starting at level 97, this will cost you 1,900 Ferrite, 1,900 Bioptics, and 57 Niodes. There is a limit of 45, available for a bulk buy of 228 niodes for 5. It has a Damage of 115, with a Speed of 104, it contains the abilities of Burn at 40% and Splash at 13%.
It goes without saying this is perfect for mechs that have fire damage worked into their build. Add your weapon specific equipment and augment it even further. This just on its damage base alone is quite an impressive weapon. Add in its abilities and honestly this is a devastating weapon in the right hands. Only question here is, are yours the right hands?
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
It goes without saying this is perfect for mechs that have fire damage worked into their build. Add your weapon specific equipment and augment it even further. This just on its damage base alone is quite an impressive weapon. Add in its abilities and honestly this is a devastating weapon in the right hands. Only question here is, are yours the right hands?
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Our Numbers Thus Far
Looking at our all time hits on this site alone I am pleased to announce at the time of this writing we have a grand total of 20,321 hits. Seeing as we we went live and were announced to the community in general in late April these are very good numbers over the short period we have been live and active. I won't bore folks with a laundry list of thanks as that has already been done. I would rather like to encourage folks to check out our new categories.
We have added official lore to our sidebar menu with the following criteria for submission- Usually if it isn't too outside the box (example Chaos gate story or the Samurai Mecha clan story) as those are feasible within game terms and presented by the clan members of how they do things in each case respectively. If the devs do not like something that has been submitted there they tell me I change the category and call it done. Thus far it has not happened. So as long as it follows game rules, established story lines or clans and isn't way way out there we allow it for lore. If it is anything "new" then we have to seek dev approval on it. Examples being the Ignis story line and the Norunners which were all discussed before hand and got Dev approval. So with all that said I encourage folks to help expand this Galaxy we all play and fight in.
We also have our Mecha Spotlight section which allows you to showcase your favorite mechs of days gone by or your current favorite. List the history of your mech , what you have put into it for weapons and equipment, some of your personal favorite kills with said mech and we will show case it here.
Lastly we have our Fantasy Mecha. Got a great idea for a mech? Got stats figured out, or a totally unique design for the game? Send it in and we'll put it up and who knows if the Devs like it enough you could very well see your design become a reality in the game! We are here for you the player, we are here to show case your ideas, your thoughts, even your gripes. You let us know what is on your mind or what ideas you have for the game and you could very well see yourself in these very pages.
We also have our Sneak Preview category for weaponry but that is between us and our inside sources for weapon development. So keep an eye on that category and you will see new and unique weapons before they ever hit the shop. So with all that said I wish you all happy hunting and thank you much for all your submissions, as well as your continued support.
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
We have added official lore to our sidebar menu with the following criteria for submission- Usually if it isn't too outside the box (example Chaos gate story or the Samurai Mecha clan story) as those are feasible within game terms and presented by the clan members of how they do things in each case respectively. If the devs do not like something that has been submitted there they tell me I change the category and call it done. Thus far it has not happened. So as long as it follows game rules, established story lines or clans and isn't way way out there we allow it for lore. If it is anything "new" then we have to seek dev approval on it. Examples being the Ignis story line and the Norunners which were all discussed before hand and got Dev approval. So with all that said I encourage folks to help expand this Galaxy we all play and fight in.
We also have our Mecha Spotlight section which allows you to showcase your favorite mechs of days gone by or your current favorite. List the history of your mech , what you have put into it for weapons and equipment, some of your personal favorite kills with said mech and we will show case it here.
Lastly we have our Fantasy Mecha. Got a great idea for a mech? Got stats figured out, or a totally unique design for the game? Send it in and we'll put it up and who knows if the Devs like it enough you could very well see your design become a reality in the game! We are here for you the player, we are here to show case your ideas, your thoughts, even your gripes. You let us know what is on your mind or what ideas you have for the game and you could very well see yourself in these very pages.
We also have our Sneak Preview category for weaponry but that is between us and our inside sources for weapon development. So keep an eye on that category and you will see new and unique weapons before they ever hit the shop. So with all that said I wish you all happy hunting and thank you much for all your submissions, as well as your continued support.
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Hip Shocks Equipment Review
This is for mechs 35-55 tons to start. This chassis piece will run you 620 Ferrite, 465 Bioptics, and 34 Niodes per piece. Its abilities are Dodge (8), Speed+4, Precision (2), and Ice Shield 8%. A rare piece of equipment in that it has no built in vulnerabilities. Then again it is for lighter weight mecha, and it seems that the vulnerabilities are more pervasive amongst the higher tonnage mecha. The dodge isn't bad really, the speed is so so, it can be used to augment the quicker lighter mech engines.
Precision and Ice Shielding are just kind of there. Stacked with build and other equipment abilities it could be a nice piece of equipment, as is a stand alone piece it is kind of all around unimpressive and the overall stats aren't too grand. There are better pieces of equipment out there, all around this is just middle of the road across the board.
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Precision and Ice Shielding are just kind of there. Stacked with build and other equipment abilities it could be a nice piece of equipment, as is a stand alone piece it is kind of all around unimpressive and the overall stats aren't too grand. There are better pieces of equipment out there, all around this is just middle of the road across the board.
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Luison Mech Review
Yet again we are looking at one of the game's grand-daddies. The Luison, developed by Star Factories, is a staple mech of almost legendary status in the minds of the veteran pilots within the galaxy. It is an upper-light weight mech and, very much so, the baby brother to the much later developed Dilophos.
It will set you back a paltry 2100 ferrite, 1500 bioptics and 100 crystals. For what you are buying here you would lose more resources than that running for the bus. It really is a bargain. The Luison's bipedal design make it a piece of cake for any competent junior pilot to handle. According to lore this machine was originally designed for stealthy sorties, a HUGE emphasis being placed on 'quick in - strike - quicker out'. In the over-all scheme of mecha-galaxy this nippy little scrapper is the raptor of the lower level player. It might not be the hardest hitter of the pack, but hit you quickly it will, and when you turn to face your assailant it will treat you to the sight of a rapidly vanishing speck on the horizon.
The plus sides to the Luison: It's CHEAP for what you are buying. That's always a good thing when you're finding your feet in the game. It is a universal mech and has no specific weapon preference. Equip it well and you have a fast little gun boat that can field any weapon type. It has a nice amount of weapon slots for it's level too, giving you more shots per turn.
The minus sides?: Given it's weight class it sadly becomes out-dated very quickly. A couple of quick battles down the line and most fighters are loading their lines with the heavier hitting and more durable Oggun. Yes, it has more weapon slots than the Oggun, but it just can't take the punishment in a stand-off fight. Where the Ogg will serve you well far longer into your career, the Luison will fade to gray long before hand.
Conclusion: Buy some! Keep them leveled for practically chump-change, and, well after you leave the realms of 'accomplished rookie' they will be a bread and butter mech in lower tonnage events. Not great for long term service, but little killers in the appropriate weight class.
Submitted by Steve Ross#162076
It will set you back a paltry 2100 ferrite, 1500 bioptics and 100 crystals. For what you are buying here you would lose more resources than that running for the bus. It really is a bargain. The Luison's bipedal design make it a piece of cake for any competent junior pilot to handle. According to lore this machine was originally designed for stealthy sorties, a HUGE emphasis being placed on 'quick in - strike - quicker out'. In the over-all scheme of mecha-galaxy this nippy little scrapper is the raptor of the lower level player. It might not be the hardest hitter of the pack, but hit you quickly it will, and when you turn to face your assailant it will treat you to the sight of a rapidly vanishing speck on the horizon.
The plus sides to the Luison: It's CHEAP for what you are buying. That's always a good thing when you're finding your feet in the game. It is a universal mech and has no specific weapon preference. Equip it well and you have a fast little gun boat that can field any weapon type. It has a nice amount of weapon slots for it's level too, giving you more shots per turn.
The minus sides?: Given it's weight class it sadly becomes out-dated very quickly. A couple of quick battles down the line and most fighters are loading their lines with the heavier hitting and more durable Oggun. Yes, it has more weapon slots than the Oggun, but it just can't take the punishment in a stand-off fight. Where the Ogg will serve you well far longer into your career, the Luison will fade to gray long before hand.
Conclusion: Buy some! Keep them leveled for practically chump-change, and, well after you leave the realms of 'accomplished rookie' they will be a bread and butter mech in lower tonnage events. Not great for long term service, but little killers in the appropriate weight class.
Submitted by Steve Ross#162076
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Force Rocket Weapon Review
This weapon is for minimum level 72, and will cost you 2,000 Ferrite, 1,200 Bioptics, 56 niodes, with a limit of 60. Or buy in bulk 5 for 224 niodes. It has a damage of 105, a speed of 93, it has the abilities of Fork at 82% and splash at 8%. Slower than your standard missile weapons true but the percentage on the fork alone is worth it. When this goes off your enemy will feel it just before they blow up.
The damage rating is pretty good also, add personal stat allotment, or equipment to augment the damage and this is really a force to be reckoned with. All things considered this is actually pretty fairly priced given all the things it can do, and given one of the most available vulnerabilities either in build or shields is indeed missiles. So overall this will pay for itself many times over in battles won.
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534
The Story Of Pazuzu
One night, after a darkness training run, we all returned to the laager to downcheck our mechs and secure everything for the evening. This planet, a forest world, and I forget it's name, like Tree World or some such, wasn't inhabited in any meaningful way. Research and weather stations and the like. Anyway, all day me and the guys in my squad noticed that our training Sergeant was acting all nervous, and that was okay because he was supposed to be concerned, but damn it didn't start to worry us too, because it seemed to be that he wasn't worried about us so much as more like about what could happen. See, we were real green back then, and if the Sarge, being all God-like and total in charge and such was being worried, well, what were we to make of it?
So after the training run, we all got together to discuss the after action reports and the evaluations, but that night, nah, not that night. See, the Sergeant was shaking and sweating, and he was armed, and we'd never seen that before. And, he ordered that defense perimeters were to be mounted and manned until morning. That, well, that threw us. So, we were wondering, all, what the hell, Sarge? We all sat down by the really big and not usual fire, and he told us a story, and I'll never forget it, ever.
"Alright boys," he started, "Y'all done real good today, and the Major will be just as happy as can be when I report this training op. I see that y'all is wondering 'What's up with the Sarge?' Well boys, I'll tell ya. See, there's always been some weird shit mixed up with these here mechs, and some minds just can't deal real good with it. That's fine, and that's what this training is for like, to weed out the weak from the strong. But sometime, and we don't know why, but some of y'all mechs get to thinking for themselves, and if you act all stupid and start letting them take over, then they can."
We quietly reflected on that for bit. We'd heard, you know, stories about that, but we never thought it was real. You know, like a "you be careful and stay focused" story. But here was Sarge, telling us it was a thing, and it was real. That sunk in real deep. "So, anyway," he continued, "On this here planet, there's a mech running around. The mech's name is Pazuzu, and it's an Anzu. Y'all think you can take a tiny little chicken mech like an Anzu?"
We all laughed, because that's like nothing. Just an Anzu? "SHUT THE F@#* UP!" Sarge screamed. "This ain't like no Anzu you fools ever seen, and it's 10 times more fierce than you bunch of assholes." The Sarge got himself together and calmed down. "Sorry boys. I hate that we're here, and this has got me more nervous than a long tailed snavurm in room full of rocking chairs. See, I'm here to tell ya that near about 10 years ago, yeah, that's about right, see there was this other training squad doing near about the same as y'all. In that squad, was this real uppity cadet. 3rd year in the Academy, daddy was some Mr. Biggity Badass Division commander, and that little cadet thought he was a hot cannon in the cryo-chamber of Freon mech.
"See, but Pazuza, the Anzu, was a custom rig. Made for special deep recon ops, and the factory wanted it field tested. They'd put in all these fancy neural interfaces, and these deep brain crainium devices, and they wanted to see how it would do. Of course, Mr. My Daddy is your Boss cadet volunteers. The techs put him in, strapped him in, and hooked his little mind into a way overpowered mech. It was fine til near about the third or fourth day when Pazuzu was tasked to do covert insertion ops. Then, boys, then shit got real.
"What happened was that Pazuzu had a digitronic binary function brain. It could use a human brain to process and understand information and input, and then use it's CPU to determine the best way to proceed. So, this stupid cadet who knew entirely too much was being used by a mech that knew entirely too well how to deal with that, and boys, all Hell broke loose."
We got real quiet then. A rogue mech, just running around, knowing what we know, and being about to think about, and having some poor bastard strapped in like that? Damn. "So, when y'all toss to tonight, y'all be thinking real hard about how Pazuzu, the ancient spirit Demon of wind and lightning, the killer of women and children, was trained just like you boys. Oh, yeah, and just one more thing. Y'all recollect those weapons that you sometimes drop? Well, we don't pick them up, but you seen how they're never there? That ain't us getting those weapons. Sleep good, boys." In the end, my lazpistol still has my fingerprints embedded on it, and I've never like Anzu mechs since. And tomorrow, I'm taking a training squad to Tree World and no one's ever killed Pazuzu....
Submitted by Lee Sarde #775296
So after the training run, we all got together to discuss the after action reports and the evaluations, but that night, nah, not that night. See, the Sergeant was shaking and sweating, and he was armed, and we'd never seen that before. And, he ordered that defense perimeters were to be mounted and manned until morning. That, well, that threw us. So, we were wondering, all, what the hell, Sarge? We all sat down by the really big and not usual fire, and he told us a story, and I'll never forget it, ever.
"Alright boys," he started, "Y'all done real good today, and the Major will be just as happy as can be when I report this training op. I see that y'all is wondering 'What's up with the Sarge?' Well boys, I'll tell ya. See, there's always been some weird shit mixed up with these here mechs, and some minds just can't deal real good with it. That's fine, and that's what this training is for like, to weed out the weak from the strong. But sometime, and we don't know why, but some of y'all mechs get to thinking for themselves, and if you act all stupid and start letting them take over, then they can."
We quietly reflected on that for bit. We'd heard, you know, stories about that, but we never thought it was real. You know, like a "you be careful and stay focused" story. But here was Sarge, telling us it was a thing, and it was real. That sunk in real deep. "So, anyway," he continued, "On this here planet, there's a mech running around. The mech's name is Pazuzu, and it's an Anzu. Y'all think you can take a tiny little chicken mech like an Anzu?"
We all laughed, because that's like nothing. Just an Anzu? "SHUT THE F@#* UP!" Sarge screamed. "This ain't like no Anzu you fools ever seen, and it's 10 times more fierce than you bunch of assholes." The Sarge got himself together and calmed down. "Sorry boys. I hate that we're here, and this has got me more nervous than a long tailed snavurm in room full of rocking chairs. See, I'm here to tell ya that near about 10 years ago, yeah, that's about right, see there was this other training squad doing near about the same as y'all. In that squad, was this real uppity cadet. 3rd year in the Academy, daddy was some Mr. Biggity Badass Division commander, and that little cadet thought he was a hot cannon in the cryo-chamber of Freon mech.
"See, but Pazuza, the Anzu, was a custom rig. Made for special deep recon ops, and the factory wanted it field tested. They'd put in all these fancy neural interfaces, and these deep brain crainium devices, and they wanted to see how it would do. Of course, Mr. My Daddy is your Boss cadet volunteers. The techs put him in, strapped him in, and hooked his little mind into a way overpowered mech. It was fine til near about the third or fourth day when Pazuzu was tasked to do covert insertion ops. Then, boys, then shit got real.
"What happened was that Pazuzu had a digitronic binary function brain. It could use a human brain to process and understand information and input, and then use it's CPU to determine the best way to proceed. So, this stupid cadet who knew entirely too much was being used by a mech that knew entirely too well how to deal with that, and boys, all Hell broke loose."
We got real quiet then. A rogue mech, just running around, knowing what we know, and being about to think about, and having some poor bastard strapped in like that? Damn. "So, when y'all toss to tonight, y'all be thinking real hard about how Pazuzu, the ancient spirit Demon of wind and lightning, the killer of women and children, was trained just like you boys. Oh, yeah, and just one more thing. Y'all recollect those weapons that you sometimes drop? Well, we don't pick them up, but you seen how they're never there? That ain't us getting those weapons. Sleep good, boys." In the end, my lazpistol still has my fingerprints embedded on it, and I've never like Anzu mechs since. And tomorrow, I'm taking a training squad to Tree World and no one's ever killed Pazuzu....
Submitted by Lee Sarde #775296
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Fantasy Mech War Pig
Ferrite: 20 000
Bioptics: 18 000
Niode: 175
Born from the anti-war movement, Illyran Hegemony chief scientist Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was trapped in his car during the demonstration at Sverdalosk. While his car was rocked back and forth, he listened to the chant of “War Pig! War Pig! War Pig” as the protesters blasted some pre space song by a group called Black Sabbath called War Pig, a glimpse into the future of war machines not yet born. Listening to the protestors talk about the brutality of human mecha, Raputin was moved. Opening his car, he climbed out to listen to hear humanities machines described not as graceful predators, honest hunters like the Forerunner mecha, but brutal killing machines. Nothing but brutal engines of destruction, blunt instruments that existed for no purpose other than killing.
Falling to his knees, he screamed “Da, yes, its true its all true” and closed his eyes. The protestors assumed he was recanting his mech loving ways. The opposite was true, he had opened his eyes to the ultimate end of human engineering. Forerunners used elegance and advanced science to make rapiers and sabers of ceremetal and steel, where humanity was never happier than with a gore spattered axe, and a helm to bury it in. Kneeling in the midst of the protestors, he had already begun the plans for the ultimate expression of mankinds love of war. Brute force was what humanity embraced, and the ultimate human mecha must embody not elegance or grace, but brute force, a hard unyielding fury, the blood mad rage of the wild boar who will charge upon his foes in a straight line, and let nothing stop him. The War Pig was born.
Tonnage 100
Armor Points 300
Start Weapons 15
Min Level 100
Min Heavy Skill 50
Levels/Weapon 4
Manufacturer Star Factories
Build: Critical Kill 5% Trample 15% Precision 10 Slow -40
Level 2 Cockpit slot
Level 3 Engine slot
Level 4 Chassis slot
Level 5 Trample 5%
Level 6 Shield Slot
Level 7 Freeze 2%
Level 8 Cockpit slot
Level 9 Engine slot
Level 10 x3 damage 10%
Starting Weapons
Omen Barrels (2)
Cherekov Beam (1)
Blurring Rays (3)
Chronysis Rail (1)
H Blast Plate (3)
Kron (1)
Crystalion (3)
Initial Test Pilot Deborah Roaché-Hudak destroyed more tonnage in working up her War Pig "MIss Piggie" than in any two divisions of Clan War XVII.
*Special thanks to the Games Workshop for my borrowing the image of one of their fine miniatures from a table top game a few of us here in Mecha Galaxy also have been known to play.
Submitted by John T Mainer 28840
Bioptics: 18 000
Niode: 175
Born from the anti-war movement, Illyran Hegemony chief scientist Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was trapped in his car during the demonstration at Sverdalosk. While his car was rocked back and forth, he listened to the chant of “War Pig! War Pig! War Pig” as the protesters blasted some pre space song by a group called Black Sabbath called War Pig, a glimpse into the future of war machines not yet born. Listening to the protestors talk about the brutality of human mecha, Raputin was moved. Opening his car, he climbed out to listen to hear humanities machines described not as graceful predators, honest hunters like the Forerunner mecha, but brutal killing machines. Nothing but brutal engines of destruction, blunt instruments that existed for no purpose other than killing.
Falling to his knees, he screamed “Da, yes, its true its all true” and closed his eyes. The protestors assumed he was recanting his mech loving ways. The opposite was true, he had opened his eyes to the ultimate end of human engineering. Forerunners used elegance and advanced science to make rapiers and sabers of ceremetal and steel, where humanity was never happier than with a gore spattered axe, and a helm to bury it in. Kneeling in the midst of the protestors, he had already begun the plans for the ultimate expression of mankinds love of war. Brute force was what humanity embraced, and the ultimate human mecha must embody not elegance or grace, but brute force, a hard unyielding fury, the blood mad rage of the wild boar who will charge upon his foes in a straight line, and let nothing stop him. The War Pig was born.
Tonnage 100
Armor Points 300
Start Weapons 15
Min Level 100
Min Heavy Skill 50
Levels/Weapon 4
Manufacturer Star Factories
Build: Critical Kill 5% Trample 15% Precision 10 Slow -40
Level 2 Cockpit slot
Level 3 Engine slot
Level 4 Chassis slot
Level 5 Trample 5%
Level 6 Shield Slot
Level 7 Freeze 2%
Level 8 Cockpit slot
Level 9 Engine slot
Level 10 x3 damage 10%
Starting Weapons
Omen Barrels (2)
Cherekov Beam (1)
Blurring Rays (3)
Chronysis Rail (1)
H Blast Plate (3)
Kron (1)
Crystalion (3)
Initial Test Pilot Deborah Roaché-Hudak destroyed more tonnage in working up her War Pig "MIss Piggie" than in any two divisions of Clan War XVII.
*Special thanks to the Games Workshop for my borrowing the image of one of their fine miniatures from a table top game a few of us here in Mecha Galaxy also have been known to play.
Submitted by John T Mainer 28840
The Crew
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep!!!!! Woody’s hand slams the snooze button. “I’m SO not a morning person,” Woody mumbles. He looks over to Woodman’s empty bed. "Hope you don’t mind.” Woodman says from somewhere in the room. “I claimed this bathroom.” “Oh … no problem.” Woody says. Woody yawns and takes a shower to wash up in the unclaimed bathroom. As he comes out of the bathroom, he wraps a towel around his waist and goes out to the catwalk to head back to his sleeping quarters. Out of nowhere, he hears a woman’s voice shout out, “Hey sexy! Nice legs!”, as she giggles. Woody is startled by the intrusion and jumps back. “What the HELL?...” He looks down from the catwalk and sees a beautiful redhead in the same green work coveralls he was supplied with. “How did you get in here?” Woody asks. “You left your door open.” The redhead explains. “Stay there and don’t touch anything – I’ll be down in a minute.” Woody says. He runs holding his towel in place and quickly gets dressed into his coveralls. Woodman is still in the bathroom getting ready.
Woody yells out, “C’mon man – hurry up, let’s go! Meet you downstairs.” As Woody descends the stairs he scans the room. “Where did she go?” he mumbles. “Hi I’m Kalli …” as she pops out from behind one of the large pillars at the bottom of the stairs. “You’ve got to stop doing that!” Woody says. Kalli laughs. “I’m Woody... So why are you here in our hanger exactly?” Woody asks. “The Commander forgot to tell you where to report for work.”, she explains. “Come to think of it, she did.” Woody chuckles. “She called me this morning and asked me to escort the two of you to work since we’re going to be working together.” Kalli says. “Morning! I’m Woodman.” Woody jumps, “Man! Didn’t hear you come down the stairs.” “WOW … Woody, you work fast. Who’s your friend?” Woodman asks. “This is Kalli.” Woody answers. “Nice to meet you. If you don’t mind me asking … how did you get in here?” Woodman asks. “You left the door unlocked,” Kalli explains. “Man … Got to leave the door unlocked more often bud.” Woodman replies. Kalli giggles. “Well, we’ve got to get going or we’ll be late,” Kalli says as she starts to walk off. “C’mon, we can take my ride this time.” Woody turns as Woodman hits his shoulder. He whispers to Woody, “Very nice!… Look at that ass. Got to love fitted coveralls,” he laughs. Woody smacks his shoulder and says, “Hey … C’mon!” As they exit their hanger, Woody asks, “So, Kalli … how do we lock our door?” “Push the green button next to your card swipe – When it’s green it’s unlocked, when it’s red it’s locked.” She explains. Woody replies, “Thanks!” Woodman claims a seat in the back and signals Woody to take the front. Woody walks around to the front seat.
“Thanks for the lift Kalli … “ he says. “No problem … Hang on guys!” she shouts as she peels out into the traffic. The boys scramble to fasten their seatbelts as she weaves in and out of traffic. “WOW … our E.Bs don’t go this fast.” Woody says. “Yeah … I took the governor out. Oops! Don’t tell, ok Woody?” Kalli pleads. “I like to move fast,” she says with a gleam in her eye. Woodman is in the back seat thinking ‘Damn!!! … Woody’s going to have his hands full with this one’ as he chuckles softly to himself. After five minutes or so of weaving in and out of traffic, Kalli turns the wheel sharply and brakes. The E.B skids into a parking spot. The boys gratefully get out. Woodman turns to Kalli, “Thanks for the ride.” Woody adds, “Yeah … thanks Kalli.” “You’re welcome … Woody.” Kalli says. “We have five minutes … Quick! We have to get in and swipe our cards then stand in formation.”, Kalli pipes as she runs down the hall. The boys quickly follow. The hall opens to a huge bay with at least twenty Mechs of all weight classes. “Holy shit! I’ve died and gone to heaven!”, exclaims Woodman. “Quick! Swipe your card and follow me,” as Kalli quickly swipes hers. They run towards a group of people standing in several lines. Kalli gets in the second line. The boys line up behind her. “No boys … you’re in the first line,” she clarifies. The boys look at each other and shrug their shoulders. “Fine,” Woody replies, as they step into the first line. No sooner do they get in line when a loud horn sounds.
Blade steps out of an office and stands in front of the crowd. “Morning all!” Blade calls out. “Morning sir,” everyone replies. “Glad to see you all made it here on time today,” he continues. “We have a couple of new hotshots joining our squad. Be sure to make them feel at home, but not on MY time … is that clear?” he adds. “SIR! YES SIR!!!” the squad replies in unison. “If you don’t know them, they are Woody and Woodman… They’re our light Mech specialists.” Blade says. Woody thinks to himself, ‘Oh shit … Here we go. I knew it was all too good to be true. It feels like I’m back at school and I’m a junior cadet all over again.’ Meanwhile, Woodman is thinking, ‘Oh yeahhhh … they recognize my abilities. Sweet! This is going to be a piece of cake.’ “Well … what are you all waiting for? To your posts … we have works to do.”, Blade says. “I expect everyone to get their shit done today, CLEAR???...” Blade shouts bringing the boys back to reality. “SIR! YES SIR!!!”, everyone chimes back and quickly run off to different areas of the hanger. Blade continues, “You two! … Into my office.”
Woody pipes up, “SIR! YES SIR!!!”, and moves swiftly into Blade’s office. Blade continues standing, all the while looking directly at Woodman. “Oh … oh yeah. SIR! YES SIR!!!”, replies Woodman. Blade then moves into the office with Woodman following closely behind. Woodman quickly takes a place next to Woody in front of Blade’s desk. “I’m ex military boys. I run my squad like the military, with discipline and respect. You have to earn the latter from everyone. This is our morning routine. You boys noticed that there are pilots ranging from 18 to 40 years of age. I treat everyone as equals, so you’ll get no special treatment here. This is our work group, but it’s also our sub clan “SONG”. This is the group you’ll be sent out on missions with. This is your new family. You two boys are part of our light Mech crew, so you’ll be working on all light Mechs. Kalli is the crew chief for our light division. She’ll give you your daily assignments. She is also your chief in battle, so listen to her … She can teach you a lot. That’s it for now. I’ll address any further matters as they come up. That’s all. Report to Kalli, and get to work.”, Blade concludes. “SIR! YES SIR!!!”
Submitted by Woodman 1201# 832644
Woody yells out, “C’mon man – hurry up, let’s go! Meet you downstairs.” As Woody descends the stairs he scans the room. “Where did she go?” he mumbles. “Hi I’m Kalli …” as she pops out from behind one of the large pillars at the bottom of the stairs. “You’ve got to stop doing that!” Woody says. Kalli laughs. “I’m Woody... So why are you here in our hanger exactly?” Woody asks. “The Commander forgot to tell you where to report for work.”, she explains. “Come to think of it, she did.” Woody chuckles. “She called me this morning and asked me to escort the two of you to work since we’re going to be working together.” Kalli says. “Morning! I’m Woodman.” Woody jumps, “Man! Didn’t hear you come down the stairs.” “WOW … Woody, you work fast. Who’s your friend?” Woodman asks. “This is Kalli.” Woody answers. “Nice to meet you. If you don’t mind me asking … how did you get in here?” Woodman asks. “You left the door unlocked,” Kalli explains. “Man … Got to leave the door unlocked more often bud.” Woodman replies. Kalli giggles. “Well, we’ve got to get going or we’ll be late,” Kalli says as she starts to walk off. “C’mon, we can take my ride this time.” Woody turns as Woodman hits his shoulder. He whispers to Woody, “Very nice!… Look at that ass. Got to love fitted coveralls,” he laughs. Woody smacks his shoulder and says, “Hey … C’mon!” As they exit their hanger, Woody asks, “So, Kalli … how do we lock our door?” “Push the green button next to your card swipe – When it’s green it’s unlocked, when it’s red it’s locked.” She explains. Woody replies, “Thanks!” Woodman claims a seat in the back and signals Woody to take the front. Woody walks around to the front seat.
“Thanks for the lift Kalli … “ he says. “No problem … Hang on guys!” she shouts as she peels out into the traffic. The boys scramble to fasten their seatbelts as she weaves in and out of traffic. “WOW … our E.Bs don’t go this fast.” Woody says. “Yeah … I took the governor out. Oops! Don’t tell, ok Woody?” Kalli pleads. “I like to move fast,” she says with a gleam in her eye. Woodman is in the back seat thinking ‘Damn!!! … Woody’s going to have his hands full with this one’ as he chuckles softly to himself. After five minutes or so of weaving in and out of traffic, Kalli turns the wheel sharply and brakes. The E.B skids into a parking spot. The boys gratefully get out. Woodman turns to Kalli, “Thanks for the ride.” Woody adds, “Yeah … thanks Kalli.” “You’re welcome … Woody.” Kalli says. “We have five minutes … Quick! We have to get in and swipe our cards then stand in formation.”, Kalli pipes as she runs down the hall. The boys quickly follow. The hall opens to a huge bay with at least twenty Mechs of all weight classes. “Holy shit! I’ve died and gone to heaven!”, exclaims Woodman. “Quick! Swipe your card and follow me,” as Kalli quickly swipes hers. They run towards a group of people standing in several lines. Kalli gets in the second line. The boys line up behind her. “No boys … you’re in the first line,” she clarifies. The boys look at each other and shrug their shoulders. “Fine,” Woody replies, as they step into the first line. No sooner do they get in line when a loud horn sounds.
Blade steps out of an office and stands in front of the crowd. “Morning all!” Blade calls out. “Morning sir,” everyone replies. “Glad to see you all made it here on time today,” he continues. “We have a couple of new hotshots joining our squad. Be sure to make them feel at home, but not on MY time … is that clear?” he adds. “SIR! YES SIR!!!” the squad replies in unison. “If you don’t know them, they are Woody and Woodman… They’re our light Mech specialists.” Blade says. Woody thinks to himself, ‘Oh shit … Here we go. I knew it was all too good to be true. It feels like I’m back at school and I’m a junior cadet all over again.’ Meanwhile, Woodman is thinking, ‘Oh yeahhhh … they recognize my abilities. Sweet! This is going to be a piece of cake.’ “Well … what are you all waiting for? To your posts … we have works to do.”, Blade says. “I expect everyone to get their shit done today, CLEAR???...” Blade shouts bringing the boys back to reality. “SIR! YES SIR!!!”, everyone chimes back and quickly run off to different areas of the hanger. Blade continues, “You two! … Into my office.”
Woody pipes up, “SIR! YES SIR!!!”, and moves swiftly into Blade’s office. Blade continues standing, all the while looking directly at Woodman. “Oh … oh yeah. SIR! YES SIR!!!”, replies Woodman. Blade then moves into the office with Woodman following closely behind. Woodman quickly takes a place next to Woody in front of Blade’s desk. “I’m ex military boys. I run my squad like the military, with discipline and respect. You have to earn the latter from everyone. This is our morning routine. You boys noticed that there are pilots ranging from 18 to 40 years of age. I treat everyone as equals, so you’ll get no special treatment here. This is our work group, but it’s also our sub clan “SONG”. This is the group you’ll be sent out on missions with. This is your new family. You two boys are part of our light Mech crew, so you’ll be working on all light Mechs. Kalli is the crew chief for our light division. She’ll give you your daily assignments. She is also your chief in battle, so listen to her … She can teach you a lot. That’s it for now. I’ll address any further matters as they come up. That’s all. Report to Kalli, and get to work.”, Blade concludes. “SIR! YES SIR!!!”
Submitted by Woodman 1201# 832644
Monday, October 20, 2014
The Hanger
As soon as Woodman exits the Commander’s door, he lets out a ‘Yahoooo!!!...’ “C’mon Woody … Let’s go to our hanger. What’s your hanger number Woody?” Woody answers, “G2300.” “Sweet!” Woodman exclaims, “Mine too… This is awesome! Hey doorman! … Where can we find out the balance on our ID cards?” “From any purchase outlet panel or from any panel at home,” the doorman explains. “SWEET! Where’s the closest?” Woodman says. “It may not be the closest, but the best place is at your home or in your Mech hanger,” the doorman explains. Woody goes to his E.B and types ‘G2300 Mech hanger’into his GPS. “C’mon Woodman … follow me!”, Woody says. As the boys follow the directions from the GPS, they pass several arenas as they get closer to the hanger side of the base.
They notice that their hangers are located on the main level. Woody stops the E.B at a small door that says G2300 and parks. Woodman pulls in beside him and parks. As the boys stand in front of the door, Woody turns to Woodman, “Here we are bud … Our future lies just beyond this door.” “Just open the door man!...”, Woodman interrupts. “I want to check out our hanger and Mechs.” As the door opens, both boys’ jaws drop open. “HOLY SWEET JESUS!!! … this is AWESOME dude! Roadrunner my girl … How are you!?”, Woodman exclaims. He runs to his Mech and hugs it. Woody says, “A Hoplite?!? … They got me a Hoplite?” The disappointment was even apparent to Woodman. “Hey bud … sweet ride!’, Woodman says. “Woodman! … it’s OLD.” Woody replies. “Hey, Roadrunner was old when I got her. It just needs a little bit of ‘The Woody’s Touch’. Old is better … doesn’t need to be broken in, and it’s so much easier to modify.” Woodman moves over to Woody and places an arm over his shoulder. “Don’t worry bud, we’ll have her looking like new soon enough.
I’m happy with Roadrunner – all she needs is some basic maintenance. So, let’s both focus on getting your Mech up to standards.” Woodman says. “Seriously? … You’ll help me?” Woody says. “You bet bud, we’r e a team,” Woodman responds. “Thanks man.” Woody says. Woodman starts to look around. “Man, we have enough room in here for four Mechs … SWEET!” Woody yells, “HA! I found the wall computer.” Woody swipes his card, and the screen light up and displays his balance. His face drops. “I have enough to enter maybe one tournament, but not enough to fix up my Mech.” Woodman takes his turn and swipes his card. His face lights up and he begins to dance. “What are you DOING?”, Woody laughs. “My money dance!”, Woodman shouts. “I have enough to buy a new Mech and then some. We have no worries bud.” “Wow Woodman! Are you serious?” Woody says. “Of course bud … Let’s get to work on your Mech.”, Woodman replies. Woodman stands at the screen and starts tapping and flicking through it. He turns to Woody, “Done.” “What did you do?” Woody asks. “Ordered the parts we’re going to need,” Woodman answers. “By the time the parts arrive, we’ll have her stripped down. Let’s get to work.” The boys both begin to strip the Mech down. Woody is amazed how quickly Woodman works. He seems like a whole different person when he’s working on a Mech… So serious and no fooling around. He’s very professional. Woody is impressed. Woody looks at his watch – It’s noon already.
He approaches the computer panel and orders some food. Half an hour later, they’re mowing down on some burgers and fries. “Thanks man, that really hit the spot!”, Woodman says. “No problem bud,” Woody responds. “Boy, this old girl has seen a lot of action,” Woodman comments. “But when we’re done with her, she’ll be as good as new – even better.” By evening, they have all the main joints taken apart and all the old weapon mounts cleaned and disassembled. Woody yells to Woodman, “Just stepping out for a bit … I’ll bring some food back, k?” “No problem bud … see you in a bit.” Woodman replies. An hour later, Woody returns with two trolleys full of boxes and some takeout.
“Hey smells good!”, Woodman observes. “Wow … that’s a lot of food dude.” as he chuckles. “No … got some stuff to fix up one of the offices into a sleeping area. We can share one office. Hope you don’t mind.” Woody says. “Great idea! We’ll probably be spending a lot of time here,” Woodman laughs. After polishing off their food, they get to work on the second floor balcony offices. “They’re all done,” Woody says as he looks at the two rooms. In the office, there are two desks facing each other on either side of the room. At the end of the room opposite to the door, there are two large eraser boards. In the middle of the room are two couches. Through a door in the back there is a small bathroom. In the other room, there are two beds and a night stand on either side of the room with each a portable closet. At the back of the room, there is a door to the bathroom. “Boy! … This is the best day EVER!”, Woodman exclaims. Woody nods his head, “Yep. Well it’s getting late … we’d better call it quits for today – don’t want to be late on our first day on the job.” Woodman replies, “Let’s crash here tonight buddy.” Woody responds sleepily, “Agreed.” The boys are exhausted and have no issues falling asleep.
Submitted by Woodman 1201# 832644
They notice that their hangers are located on the main level. Woody stops the E.B at a small door that says G2300 and parks. Woodman pulls in beside him and parks. As the boys stand in front of the door, Woody turns to Woodman, “Here we are bud … Our future lies just beyond this door.” “Just open the door man!...”, Woodman interrupts. “I want to check out our hanger and Mechs.” As the door opens, both boys’ jaws drop open. “HOLY SWEET JESUS!!! … this is AWESOME dude! Roadrunner my girl … How are you!?”, Woodman exclaims. He runs to his Mech and hugs it. Woody says, “A Hoplite?!? … They got me a Hoplite?” The disappointment was even apparent to Woodman. “Hey bud … sweet ride!’, Woodman says. “Woodman! … it’s OLD.” Woody replies. “Hey, Roadrunner was old when I got her. It just needs a little bit of ‘The Woody’s Touch’. Old is better … doesn’t need to be broken in, and it’s so much easier to modify.” Woodman moves over to Woody and places an arm over his shoulder. “Don’t worry bud, we’ll have her looking like new soon enough.
I’m happy with Roadrunner – all she needs is some basic maintenance. So, let’s both focus on getting your Mech up to standards.” Woodman says. “Seriously? … You’ll help me?” Woody says. “You bet bud, we’r e a team,” Woodman responds. “Thanks man.” Woody says. Woodman starts to look around. “Man, we have enough room in here for four Mechs … SWEET!” Woody yells, “HA! I found the wall computer.” Woody swipes his card, and the screen light up and displays his balance. His face drops. “I have enough to enter maybe one tournament, but not enough to fix up my Mech.” Woodman takes his turn and swipes his card. His face lights up and he begins to dance. “What are you DOING?”, Woody laughs. “My money dance!”, Woodman shouts. “I have enough to buy a new Mech and then some. We have no worries bud.” “Wow Woodman! Are you serious?” Woody says. “Of course bud … Let’s get to work on your Mech.”, Woodman replies. Woodman stands at the screen and starts tapping and flicking through it. He turns to Woody, “Done.” “What did you do?” Woody asks. “Ordered the parts we’re going to need,” Woodman answers. “By the time the parts arrive, we’ll have her stripped down. Let’s get to work.” The boys both begin to strip the Mech down. Woody is amazed how quickly Woodman works. He seems like a whole different person when he’s working on a Mech… So serious and no fooling around. He’s very professional. Woody is impressed. Woody looks at his watch – It’s noon already.
He approaches the computer panel and orders some food. Half an hour later, they’re mowing down on some burgers and fries. “Thanks man, that really hit the spot!”, Woodman says. “No problem bud,” Woody responds. “Boy, this old girl has seen a lot of action,” Woodman comments. “But when we’re done with her, she’ll be as good as new – even better.” By evening, they have all the main joints taken apart and all the old weapon mounts cleaned and disassembled. Woody yells to Woodman, “Just stepping out for a bit … I’ll bring some food back, k?” “No problem bud … see you in a bit.” Woodman replies. An hour later, Woody returns with two trolleys full of boxes and some takeout.
“Hey smells good!”, Woodman observes. “Wow … that’s a lot of food dude.” as he chuckles. “No … got some stuff to fix up one of the offices into a sleeping area. We can share one office. Hope you don’t mind.” Woody says. “Great idea! We’ll probably be spending a lot of time here,” Woodman laughs. After polishing off their food, they get to work on the second floor balcony offices. “They’re all done,” Woody says as he looks at the two rooms. In the office, there are two desks facing each other on either side of the room. At the end of the room opposite to the door, there are two large eraser boards. In the middle of the room are two couches. Through a door in the back there is a small bathroom. In the other room, there are two beds and a night stand on either side of the room with each a portable closet. At the back of the room, there is a door to the bathroom. “Boy! … This is the best day EVER!”, Woodman exclaims. Woody nods his head, “Yep. Well it’s getting late … we’d better call it quits for today – don’t want to be late on our first day on the job.” Woodman replies, “Let’s crash here tonight buddy.” Woody responds sleepily, “Agreed.” The boys are exhausted and have no issues falling asleep.
Submitted by Woodman 1201# 832644
The Arrival
After the live video went out over the net, clan Exile has had a huge influx of young people wanting to go to their academy. Overnight, Woody and Woodman became heroes to young people who had access to the net. The boys’ carriers launch forward at an incredible pace. They begin to receive invites to competitions all over the known worlds. Commander Randy realizes the potential this has for Clan Exile, so he assigns a manager and liaison to negotiate for them and the clan. After a week of publicity tours, the boys arrive at clan Exile’s main base where they begin their intense new training in arena battles. As the limo pulls up to the first security checkpoint, they notice massive towers every half mile. “Man Woody … this place looks wicked COOL!” Woodman exclaims. In the distance, they can see a building, bigger than they could have ever imagined. The driver’s voice announces over the speakers, “Only twenty minutes to the base boys.” Woody thinks, ‘Holy crap! … that means we’re at least twenty miles from the base. My GOD … the sheer size of this place!’ As the limo pulls up to the front at the main entrance, they see Gabe their manager. “HA … boys, you made it! Well, welcome to your new home.
This isn’t like school - This is a full clan base as you are both considered Mech pilots, so ACT like it. You will both be assigned duties and when you don’t have work to do, you’ll be expected to train. You have one hour to get settled and are expected to be at the Commander’s office to receive your Divisions and be assigned your Mechs and bay numbers. There is a pilot inside waiting to show you around and to your bunks. Good luck boys.” As Gabe walks off and gets into the limo, Woodman turns to Woody. “What did we get ourselves into?” he asks. “The big leagues,” replies Woody as he grabs his belongings. As they walk into the building, a voice says “So, you’re the two new hotshots eh? Well, follow me. You don’t want to be late.” They follow the pilot to an electric cart. “These are E.Bs. They’re the easiest way to get around here. You’ll each have one outside your quarters. As you can see, it is a self contained city here. Here are your ID cards… Don’t lose them. They are your access cards and credit cards. As you work, credits will be given to you at the end of each shift. You will also receive credits for winning in-house battles. These credits allow you to buy anything from your groceries to new Mech parts. It’s up to you how well you do here. Every pilot’s income is different – NEVER ask what others make. Ok boys, we’re here. Because you boys are so much younger than the usual clan members, you will be sharing quarters.
You have five minutes to drop your things off and take a quick look around. I’ll wait here.” Woody looks at the door, and sees G2300. “Hurry up Woodman!” As Woody opens the door with his ID card, “This is AWESOME!!!!”, Woodman yells. “It’s our own apartment.” Woody quickly claims the room furthest away from the bathroom. “No problem bud,” Woodman says. As Woodman looks around the apartment, he mumbles, “Kind of sterile, but we can fix this up to be a sweet pad buddy. No windows though … (sigh) oh well.” “K Woodman … let’s go,” Woody says. Woody leaves, and as he walks up to the pilot, he realizes that they were never introduced. “Hi! By the way, I’m Woody,” As he puts his hand out, “I’m Blade. Nice to meet you.” “Come on Woodman, let’s go!” Woody says. “This is Blade.” “Hey man.” Woodman replies. Blade turns to them and says, “Pick your rides. As soon as you swipe your card, that E.B. will be yours. The only way to start it is with your cards.” Blade then yells “Follow me!” as he pulls away. Woody and Woodman jump into their E.Bs and follow Blade. Woody thinks, ‘Wow … he wasn’t kidding - This is a city.’ There seems to be freeways and side streets – Everywhere you look, E.Bs are rushing about. They then come to a parking area. Blade yells, “Park here boys. Oh … and don’t worry – Your E.Bs come with GPS. Just type in your destination and it’ll tell you how to get there.” “Thank GOD!” Woody blurts out. Blade laughs. “Well, you’re on your own. The Commander’s office is that way. Later guys, and good luck.” “Woody! This place is AMAZING!” Woodman exclaims. “Pull yourself together Woodman... Let’s go meet this Commander.” Woody says as they enter an office. “HEY YOU TWO … ID cards!” bellows a voice. “What???”, Woodman replies. “You need to swipe your ID cards to let the Commander know you’ve arrived.
.
The light on the door will turn green, then you can go in.” “Who are you?”, Woody asks. “I’m the Commander’s doorman.” Woody steps up and swipes his card. Woodman follows suit. “No... only one at a time. You can sit and wait your turn,” the doorman says. Just then, a green light flashes above the commander’s door. “Ok, you can go in,” the doorman continues. Woody opens the door and enters into the office. “Good morning,” a voice says. ‘This isn’t the voice of a man,’ Woody thinks. As a side door opens, an older but attractive woman enters. “Sit down Woody,” as she points to the chair. Woody is caught off guard and answers. “Yes SIR … um, ma’am. “ “Commander is just fine,” she replies. “Well I have read your file – Very impressive. If you follow orders and do your job, you will do just fine. We’re expecting great things from you. We realize this is all new to you so if you have any questions afterwards, feel free to ask any pilot. Well … let’s get down to the nitty gritty. You’ll notice that your ID card already has credits on it. These are what’s left of your salvage rights from the battle, and your pay from your publicity tour. Minus, of course, the amount for your Mech.
Randy felt this was the best Mech suited to you. It isn’t new, but it’s operational. Your hanger # is G2300. Your Mech is waiting for you there. Now, your Mech is your property. You’ll be expected to keep it in top running order. The clan will supply you with all your ordinance. In any competitions you enter here on base, you’ll pay the entry fee, but you’ll keep all the winnings. These inner clan competitions are run and organized by the pilots. Any clan missions that you go on, the clan will supply all ordinance and repairs to your Mech. You’ll also receive a percentage of the salvage value in credits. Your manager already negotiated your contract, so train hard. You’ll receive your first mission soon. Make sure you and your Mech are ready. Your job title is Junior Mech Maintenance. You’ll report to Blade tomorrow. Shifts start at 8am. DON’T be late! ... Blade runs a tight shift. Any questions?” “Um … yes.” Woody replies. “Go ahead.” She says. “If while I’m on a mission, I find any salvage outside of the mission objectives, do I get to claim it?”, Woody asks. “Yes, but you have to do four things… log, date, time and location of the find. This way, there are no discrepancies in rights of salvage.”, she explains. “Another question ... Are we allowed to take outside jobs and enter competitions on our own time?” Woody continues. The Commander replies, “Yes, but always clear it with me first so that there are no conflicts of interest. As far as competitions, there are clan operated competitions. They will be assigned to the appropriate pilot.
Private ones that you pay out of your own pocket, no problem – Just remember, if you lose, you’re going to be expected to repair your Mech yourself. Your Mech is to be always operational. If that’s all, the rest of the day is yours. Get familiar with the base. Welcome to clan Exile.” “Thank you Commander.” Woody gets up and leaves. As he exits the door, he hears “Hey bud, how did it go”, Woodman asks. “She’s very nice and straightforward,” says Woody. “SHE???.. The Commander is a SHE?”, as Woodman swipes his card. The light turns green. “Go ahead in,” the doorman says. As soon as he steps in he hears, “Have a seat Woodman.” Woodman quickly sits himself down. “Welcome to clan Exile, Woodman. You are the youngest pilot on base ever – That, and the fact you were never a cadet at one of our training facilities. You’ll have to get used to our command structure. We’re not military, but when an order is given, you’re expected to follow that order. Is that clear?” the Commander asks. “Yes Commander.” “If you do that, you’ll do well. We’re expecting great things from you.
Well let’s get down to it. Your hanger # is G2300. Your Mech was delivered there for you. You’ll notice there are some credits on your ID card already. This amount is from your share of the salvage from the battle, and for your payment for your publicity tour. Your manager has worked out the details of your contract. Your job title is Junior Mech Maintenance. Report to Blade at 8am … DO NOT be late. He runs a tight shift.” The Commander goes through the remaining details as she did with Woody. “Well, if there are no more questions...", continues the Commander. “No ma’am … um, Commander.” “Well, the rest of the day is yours. Get familiar with the base and good luck.” she concludes. Woodman gets up and leaves the office.
Submitted by Woodman 1201# 832644
This isn’t like school - This is a full clan base as you are both considered Mech pilots, so ACT like it. You will both be assigned duties and when you don’t have work to do, you’ll be expected to train. You have one hour to get settled and are expected to be at the Commander’s office to receive your Divisions and be assigned your Mechs and bay numbers. There is a pilot inside waiting to show you around and to your bunks. Good luck boys.” As Gabe walks off and gets into the limo, Woodman turns to Woody. “What did we get ourselves into?” he asks. “The big leagues,” replies Woody as he grabs his belongings. As they walk into the building, a voice says “So, you’re the two new hotshots eh? Well, follow me. You don’t want to be late.” They follow the pilot to an electric cart. “These are E.Bs. They’re the easiest way to get around here. You’ll each have one outside your quarters. As you can see, it is a self contained city here. Here are your ID cards… Don’t lose them. They are your access cards and credit cards. As you work, credits will be given to you at the end of each shift. You will also receive credits for winning in-house battles. These credits allow you to buy anything from your groceries to new Mech parts. It’s up to you how well you do here. Every pilot’s income is different – NEVER ask what others make. Ok boys, we’re here. Because you boys are so much younger than the usual clan members, you will be sharing quarters.
You have five minutes to drop your things off and take a quick look around. I’ll wait here.” Woody looks at the door, and sees G2300. “Hurry up Woodman!” As Woody opens the door with his ID card, “This is AWESOME!!!!”, Woodman yells. “It’s our own apartment.” Woody quickly claims the room furthest away from the bathroom. “No problem bud,” Woodman says. As Woodman looks around the apartment, he mumbles, “Kind of sterile, but we can fix this up to be a sweet pad buddy. No windows though … (sigh) oh well.” “K Woodman … let’s go,” Woody says. Woody leaves, and as he walks up to the pilot, he realizes that they were never introduced. “Hi! By the way, I’m Woody,” As he puts his hand out, “I’m Blade. Nice to meet you.” “Come on Woodman, let’s go!” Woody says. “This is Blade.” “Hey man.” Woodman replies. Blade turns to them and says, “Pick your rides. As soon as you swipe your card, that E.B. will be yours. The only way to start it is with your cards.” Blade then yells “Follow me!” as he pulls away. Woody and Woodman jump into their E.Bs and follow Blade. Woody thinks, ‘Wow … he wasn’t kidding - This is a city.’ There seems to be freeways and side streets – Everywhere you look, E.Bs are rushing about. They then come to a parking area. Blade yells, “Park here boys. Oh … and don’t worry – Your E.Bs come with GPS. Just type in your destination and it’ll tell you how to get there.” “Thank GOD!” Woody blurts out. Blade laughs. “Well, you’re on your own. The Commander’s office is that way. Later guys, and good luck.” “Woody! This place is AMAZING!” Woodman exclaims. “Pull yourself together Woodman... Let’s go meet this Commander.” Woody says as they enter an office. “HEY YOU TWO … ID cards!” bellows a voice. “What???”, Woodman replies. “You need to swipe your ID cards to let the Commander know you’ve arrived.
.
The light on the door will turn green, then you can go in.” “Who are you?”, Woody asks. “I’m the Commander’s doorman.” Woody steps up and swipes his card. Woodman follows suit. “No... only one at a time. You can sit and wait your turn,” the doorman says. Just then, a green light flashes above the commander’s door. “Ok, you can go in,” the doorman continues. Woody opens the door and enters into the office. “Good morning,” a voice says. ‘This isn’t the voice of a man,’ Woody thinks. As a side door opens, an older but attractive woman enters. “Sit down Woody,” as she points to the chair. Woody is caught off guard and answers. “Yes SIR … um, ma’am. “ “Commander is just fine,” she replies. “Well I have read your file – Very impressive. If you follow orders and do your job, you will do just fine. We’re expecting great things from you. We realize this is all new to you so if you have any questions afterwards, feel free to ask any pilot. Well … let’s get down to the nitty gritty. You’ll notice that your ID card already has credits on it. These are what’s left of your salvage rights from the battle, and your pay from your publicity tour. Minus, of course, the amount for your Mech.
Randy felt this was the best Mech suited to you. It isn’t new, but it’s operational. Your hanger # is G2300. Your Mech is waiting for you there. Now, your Mech is your property. You’ll be expected to keep it in top running order. The clan will supply you with all your ordinance. In any competitions you enter here on base, you’ll pay the entry fee, but you’ll keep all the winnings. These inner clan competitions are run and organized by the pilots. Any clan missions that you go on, the clan will supply all ordinance and repairs to your Mech. You’ll also receive a percentage of the salvage value in credits. Your manager already negotiated your contract, so train hard. You’ll receive your first mission soon. Make sure you and your Mech are ready. Your job title is Junior Mech Maintenance. You’ll report to Blade tomorrow. Shifts start at 8am. DON’T be late! ... Blade runs a tight shift. Any questions?” “Um … yes.” Woody replies. “Go ahead.” She says. “If while I’m on a mission, I find any salvage outside of the mission objectives, do I get to claim it?”, Woody asks. “Yes, but you have to do four things… log, date, time and location of the find. This way, there are no discrepancies in rights of salvage.”, she explains. “Another question ... Are we allowed to take outside jobs and enter competitions on our own time?” Woody continues. The Commander replies, “Yes, but always clear it with me first so that there are no conflicts of interest. As far as competitions, there are clan operated competitions. They will be assigned to the appropriate pilot.
Private ones that you pay out of your own pocket, no problem – Just remember, if you lose, you’re going to be expected to repair your Mech yourself. Your Mech is to be always operational. If that’s all, the rest of the day is yours. Get familiar with the base. Welcome to clan Exile.” “Thank you Commander.” Woody gets up and leaves. As he exits the door, he hears “Hey bud, how did it go”, Woodman asks. “She’s very nice and straightforward,” says Woody. “SHE???.. The Commander is a SHE?”, as Woodman swipes his card. The light turns green. “Go ahead in,” the doorman says. As soon as he steps in he hears, “Have a seat Woodman.” Woodman quickly sits himself down. “Welcome to clan Exile, Woodman. You are the youngest pilot on base ever – That, and the fact you were never a cadet at one of our training facilities. You’ll have to get used to our command structure. We’re not military, but when an order is given, you’re expected to follow that order. Is that clear?” the Commander asks. “Yes Commander.” “If you do that, you’ll do well. We’re expecting great things from you.
Well let’s get down to it. Your hanger # is G2300. Your Mech was delivered there for you. You’ll notice there are some credits on your ID card already. This amount is from your share of the salvage from the battle, and for your payment for your publicity tour. Your manager has worked out the details of your contract. Your job title is Junior Mech Maintenance. Report to Blade at 8am … DO NOT be late. He runs a tight shift.” The Commander goes through the remaining details as she did with Woody. “Well, if there are no more questions...", continues the Commander. “No ma’am … um, Commander.” “Well, the rest of the day is yours. Get familiar with the base and good luck.” she concludes. Woodman gets up and leaves the office.
Submitted by Woodman 1201# 832644
Sunday, October 19, 2014
War Rages Still
Born of Chaos, we rise...
Destruction,and fire in our eyes...
the Batlle yet rages, but our mechs own this field...
By Honor and Virtue, and Clan Blood spilled...
When the war's over and all's said and told...
Silver is nice, But our sight's are on GOLD !!!
Submitted by Bryan Haycock # 138789
Jim's Review: What You Need To Know About Mech/Equipment for Levels 10-18
NIODES/CRYSTAL: All newer items have niode or crystal costs, so figure how you'll get niodes/crystal.
MECH PLANNING: There isn't much choice in mechs/equipment at lower levels, and low-level mechs have few if any equipment slots. You have a lot more options at this level. Optimal performance requires planning. Carefully select equipment and weapons that add to what your mech is already good at, or that compensates for weaknesses.
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COCKPIT: Mostly boosts Precision, which is good against Dodge. A lot of small bonuses available at these levels can synergize with your mech.
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CHASSIS: Basic equipment boosts Shield but lowers Speed, or gives Dodge. Shield-boosting chassis are best used on mechs that already have Shield, preferably niode shield(s) from Shield Slot(s). Good Dodge is useful against mechs without good Precision, or for mechs so fragile they can't take hits anyways; look for mechs with multiple Chassis slots to stack Dodge high.
Nanobot Repair and Handheld Nuke are other new chassis options. The former has Auto Repair and low odds of a big kickback. The latter has huge almost guaranteed kickback, but potentially increases damage quite a lot. If you do plan to use these, remember the weight requirements on each; Nanobot Repair only works for 25-50 ton mechs, and Handheld Nuke for 35-55.
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ENGINE: Boosts Speed, and a variety of bonuses with different modules.
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SHIELD: Level 1-9 mechs are all 20 tons or under, so only have access to the 0-25 ton tier of shields. All normally available level 10-18 mechs are 25-45 tons, so may equip the far more powerful 25-50 ton tier of shields. Crystal versions provide 32% protection against one of the five types of damage (projectile, laser, fire, ice, missile), but impart 11% vulnerability to another type and 8% vulnerability to a third type. Niode versions provide 42% protection to one type and 11% vulnerability to a second (no vulnerability to a third) and Shield (12). Niode shields are really excellent.
Two shield modules don't fit in the standard tiers of shields; the new niode shield Turtle Shell for 20-45 ton mechs that fits the low-level Axe Bot and Shocklite (prevents 48% Trample damage and gives Shield (11), but imparts Proj. Vulnerable 4% and Missile Vulnerable 5%). The vulnerabilities are rather unpleasant especially for low levels when there's plenty of hard-hitting projectiles and missiles, but the the Shield (11) is a big boost from the normal Shield (6) normal to the 0-25 ton shield range. The other nonstandard shield is the niode shield Titanite Buckler for mechs in the 40-60 ton range, which gives Shield (8), Dodge 1, and Speed -1. The 50-75 standard range of niode shields has Shield (16), but the drop in shield could be worth the trade, for a dodge-oriented mech.
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HOPLITE: Available level 10, costs crystal, 25 tons, 50 start armor, 3 weapon + 1/7 levels. Speed bonus 6, small 2X Damage and Freeze chances, various shields against specific damage types as increases in levels. Shield slot at 6 and 26, chassis slot at 9, engine slot at 13, cockpit slot at 18. This is a pretty big step up in defense compared to previously available lighter mechs, thanks to the 25-50 ton range of niode shields. The various damage-specific shields are a bonus.
The best shield-defensive crystal mech for a long while, especially if you can afford multiple different niode shields and switch them out for the right occasions. Faster than the iMech, especially with the engine slot at 13 (the iMech gains its first engine slot at 36). The Holmes at level 16 is more suited to Dodge.
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NERIO: Available level 11, costs niodes, 25 tons, 50 start armor, 3 weapon + 1/5 levels. Speed bonus 7, small proj. damage and missile damage bonuses, gains Precision bonuses as leveling, small 3X damage possibility. Cockpit slot at 3, shield slot at 7 and 14, engine slot at 9.
The best defensive niode mech for a while when leveled to 14 with its second shield slot, if you can afford a variety of niode shields and switch them out to fit the occasion. The next mech to get multiple shield slots is the Nifthel crystal mech available at level 19.
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iMECH:: Available level 12, costs crystal, 30 tons, 70 start armor, 3 weapon + 1/6 levels. Speed bonus 5, cockpit slot at 2, chassis slot at 4, shield slot at 10. Slow (4) at 18, good bonuses to proj. damage as leveling.
A good mech if you have nice projectile weapons. The Hoplite has better defenses, some chance of 2X damage, and is faster, but doesn't have consistent high damage. The iMech goes very well with the Fist of Fury projectile weapon if you have it from earlier purchased Axe Bots. Other projectile weapons may be available as prizes from events or mission bosses. If you notice a limited edition high damage projectile weapon sale on, or have a load of good projectile weapons, think about the iMech.
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TROOPER: Available level 12, costs niodes, 30 tons, 60 start armor, 4 weapon + 1/5 levels. Speed 4 (plus another 10 when leveled up), precision 2, increasing chance of 2X damage as leveling, increasing vulnerability to fire and ice as leveling. Chassis slot at 4 and 14, cockpit slot at 9.
A Dodge type shield-breaking mech that hits its stride at level 14, with good speed, good 2X Damage percentage, and high Dodge with properly equipped second chassis slot. Fire and ice weapons are normally first available at level 17 and 18, but special limited edition niode weapon sales can come up, making fire/ice available for lower level players, so watch out for those. This mech may be your best bet for breaking through shields, especially if you're facing multiple shields and don't have high-damage weapons (or if your selection of high-damage weapons is limited, allowing your opponent to effectively shield). The high dodge can push your opponent to bring a decent Precision mech or suffer the consequences.
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ORCUS: Available level 14, or free with qualifying niode purchase at mechagalaxy.com. Costs niodes, 35 tons, 65 start armor, 4 weapon + 1/5 levels. Speed 7, with more speed bonuses as leveling, decent proj. damage bonuses as leveling, engine slot at 2 and 18, chassis slot at 2, shield slot at 12.
The fastest mech, with bonuses to the fastest weapon type(projectile), with an engine slot for even more speed. Load up with some hard-hitting projectile weapons to do plenty of damage to an opponent before they can hit back. Using a niode shield and Nanobot Repair chassis makes this mech a passable fast-hitting tank; equipping Handheld Nuke chassis makes this a quick kamikaze bomb. As far as I know it is not possible to get around Handheld Nuke's kickback with Shield or Projectile Shield.
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KERADON: Available level 15, or free with qualifying niode purchase at mechagalaxy.com. Costs niodes, 35 tons, 75 start armor, 6 weapon + 1/5 levels. Cockpit slot at 2, chassis at 2, engine at 4 and 18, shield at 4. Small chances of Trample, 2X Damage, 3X Damage, each increasing with level up.
A decently durable shield-breaking mech. Usually best with Shield rather than Dodge, has a Cockpit slot for better Precision and supplemental bonuses, a Shield slot that can combine with Torso Plating chassis for decent durability, and double Engine slots for comparable Speed when fully equipped. The best all-arounder in the class that can use any weapon type, with plenty of equipment slots to switch out as situation demands. Often best used in front line to take advantage of early Trample.
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HOLMES: Available level 16, costs crystal, 35 tons, 80 start armor, 4 weapon + 1/7 levels. Moderate bonuses to laser damage as leveling up, some chance of 2X damage at 8, engine slot at 5, chassis slot at 5 and 12, cockpit slot at 11.
A Dodge-type crystal mech with bonuses to laser damage, can be equipped with Handheld Nuke. The next mech to get double Chassis slots is the Oggun at level 24, so if you're looking for a dodge-type crystal mech, this is the best option for a while.
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DREAD: Available level 18, or randomly (low chance) as a prize for beating Mission Boss 2. Costs niodes, 45 tons, 90 start armor, 5 weapon + 1/5 levels. Moderate bonuses to missile damage and trample while leveling, shield slot at 2, cockpit slot at 2, chassis slot at 11, engine slot at 13.
Has considerable Trample damage, so using it on the front lines with a powerful missile loadout can be quite nasty if it survives - remember the slow firing speed of missiles. The bonus missile damage on this mech is the best available for a while, so look for this mech if you have a load of good missile weapons.
The next few notable mechs are the crystal Nifthel at level 19 with two Shield and two Engine slots and bonuses to ice damage, the crystal Luison with double Shield slots and assorted bonuses, the niode Fides with its monstrous early double Chassis triple Shield double Engine slots, and the crystal Oggun with plenty of 2X damage bonuses and double Chassis slots.
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In closing - remember the above aren't "rules", they're hardly even "guidelines." Change things up as necessary. For example, if you have an iMech-heavy lineup, your opponent may come in with proj. shields. But proj. shields leave an opponent vulnerable to laserx. So if you load your iMechs with projectile and laser weapons, they're able to handle more than iMechs armed only with projectiles. Or suppose you watched a replay and saw your high-Dodge mechs fall to low-damage Precision type mechs. Chassis slots aren't great at shielding, but if you don't have a shield-type mech, you have to make do with what you have - so perhaps switch your Chassis slots to shield-type equipment to win.
Again - carefully select equipment and weapons that add to what your mech is already good at, or that compensates for weaknesses. But remember, what your mech is good at, or what your mech is weak at, is determined by your opponent as well as yourself.
Submitted by Jim Lee#843365
MECH PLANNING: There isn't much choice in mechs/equipment at lower levels, and low-level mechs have few if any equipment slots. You have a lot more options at this level. Optimal performance requires planning. Carefully select equipment and weapons that add to what your mech is already good at, or that compensates for weaknesses.
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COCKPIT: Mostly boosts Precision, which is good against Dodge. A lot of small bonuses available at these levels can synergize with your mech.
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CHASSIS: Basic equipment boosts Shield but lowers Speed, or gives Dodge. Shield-boosting chassis are best used on mechs that already have Shield, preferably niode shield(s) from Shield Slot(s). Good Dodge is useful against mechs without good Precision, or for mechs so fragile they can't take hits anyways; look for mechs with multiple Chassis slots to stack Dodge high.
Nanobot Repair and Handheld Nuke are other new chassis options. The former has Auto Repair and low odds of a big kickback. The latter has huge almost guaranteed kickback, but potentially increases damage quite a lot. If you do plan to use these, remember the weight requirements on each; Nanobot Repair only works for 25-50 ton mechs, and Handheld Nuke for 35-55.
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ENGINE: Boosts Speed, and a variety of bonuses with different modules.
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SHIELD: Level 1-9 mechs are all 20 tons or under, so only have access to the 0-25 ton tier of shields. All normally available level 10-18 mechs are 25-45 tons, so may equip the far more powerful 25-50 ton tier of shields. Crystal versions provide 32% protection against one of the five types of damage (projectile, laser, fire, ice, missile), but impart 11% vulnerability to another type and 8% vulnerability to a third type. Niode versions provide 42% protection to one type and 11% vulnerability to a second (no vulnerability to a third) and Shield (12). Niode shields are really excellent.
Two shield modules don't fit in the standard tiers of shields; the new niode shield Turtle Shell for 20-45 ton mechs that fits the low-level Axe Bot and Shocklite (prevents 48% Trample damage and gives Shield (11), but imparts Proj. Vulnerable 4% and Missile Vulnerable 5%). The vulnerabilities are rather unpleasant especially for low levels when there's plenty of hard-hitting projectiles and missiles, but the the Shield (11) is a big boost from the normal Shield (6) normal to the 0-25 ton shield range. The other nonstandard shield is the niode shield Titanite Buckler for mechs in the 40-60 ton range, which gives Shield (8), Dodge 1, and Speed -1. The 50-75 standard range of niode shields has Shield (16), but the drop in shield could be worth the trade, for a dodge-oriented mech.
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HOPLITE: Available level 10, costs crystal, 25 tons, 50 start armor, 3 weapon + 1/7 levels. Speed bonus 6, small 2X Damage and Freeze chances, various shields against specific damage types as increases in levels. Shield slot at 6 and 26, chassis slot at 9, engine slot at 13, cockpit slot at 18. This is a pretty big step up in defense compared to previously available lighter mechs, thanks to the 25-50 ton range of niode shields. The various damage-specific shields are a bonus.
The best shield-defensive crystal mech for a long while, especially if you can afford multiple different niode shields and switch them out for the right occasions. Faster than the iMech, especially with the engine slot at 13 (the iMech gains its first engine slot at 36). The Holmes at level 16 is more suited to Dodge.
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NERIO: Available level 11, costs niodes, 25 tons, 50 start armor, 3 weapon + 1/5 levels. Speed bonus 7, small proj. damage and missile damage bonuses, gains Precision bonuses as leveling, small 3X damage possibility. Cockpit slot at 3, shield slot at 7 and 14, engine slot at 9.
The best defensive niode mech for a while when leveled to 14 with its second shield slot, if you can afford a variety of niode shields and switch them out to fit the occasion. The next mech to get multiple shield slots is the Nifthel crystal mech available at level 19.
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iMECH:: Available level 12, costs crystal, 30 tons, 70 start armor, 3 weapon + 1/6 levels. Speed bonus 5, cockpit slot at 2, chassis slot at 4, shield slot at 10. Slow (4) at 18, good bonuses to proj. damage as leveling.
A good mech if you have nice projectile weapons. The Hoplite has better defenses, some chance of 2X damage, and is faster, but doesn't have consistent high damage. The iMech goes very well with the Fist of Fury projectile weapon if you have it from earlier purchased Axe Bots. Other projectile weapons may be available as prizes from events or mission bosses. If you notice a limited edition high damage projectile weapon sale on, or have a load of good projectile weapons, think about the iMech.
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TROOPER: Available level 12, costs niodes, 30 tons, 60 start armor, 4 weapon + 1/5 levels. Speed 4 (plus another 10 when leveled up), precision 2, increasing chance of 2X damage as leveling, increasing vulnerability to fire and ice as leveling. Chassis slot at 4 and 14, cockpit slot at 9.
A Dodge type shield-breaking mech that hits its stride at level 14, with good speed, good 2X Damage percentage, and high Dodge with properly equipped second chassis slot. Fire and ice weapons are normally first available at level 17 and 18, but special limited edition niode weapon sales can come up, making fire/ice available for lower level players, so watch out for those. This mech may be your best bet for breaking through shields, especially if you're facing multiple shields and don't have high-damage weapons (or if your selection of high-damage weapons is limited, allowing your opponent to effectively shield). The high dodge can push your opponent to bring a decent Precision mech or suffer the consequences.
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ORCUS: Available level 14, or free with qualifying niode purchase at mechagalaxy.com. Costs niodes, 35 tons, 65 start armor, 4 weapon + 1/5 levels. Speed 7, with more speed bonuses as leveling, decent proj. damage bonuses as leveling, engine slot at 2 and 18, chassis slot at 2, shield slot at 12.
The fastest mech, with bonuses to the fastest weapon type(projectile), with an engine slot for even more speed. Load up with some hard-hitting projectile weapons to do plenty of damage to an opponent before they can hit back. Using a niode shield and Nanobot Repair chassis makes this mech a passable fast-hitting tank; equipping Handheld Nuke chassis makes this a quick kamikaze bomb. As far as I know it is not possible to get around Handheld Nuke's kickback with Shield or Projectile Shield.
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KERADON: Available level 15, or free with qualifying niode purchase at mechagalaxy.com. Costs niodes, 35 tons, 75 start armor, 6 weapon + 1/5 levels. Cockpit slot at 2, chassis at 2, engine at 4 and 18, shield at 4. Small chances of Trample, 2X Damage, 3X Damage, each increasing with level up.
A decently durable shield-breaking mech. Usually best with Shield rather than Dodge, has a Cockpit slot for better Precision and supplemental bonuses, a Shield slot that can combine with Torso Plating chassis for decent durability, and double Engine slots for comparable Speed when fully equipped. The best all-arounder in the class that can use any weapon type, with plenty of equipment slots to switch out as situation demands. Often best used in front line to take advantage of early Trample.
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HOLMES: Available level 16, costs crystal, 35 tons, 80 start armor, 4 weapon + 1/7 levels. Moderate bonuses to laser damage as leveling up, some chance of 2X damage at 8, engine slot at 5, chassis slot at 5 and 12, cockpit slot at 11.
A Dodge-type crystal mech with bonuses to laser damage, can be equipped with Handheld Nuke. The next mech to get double Chassis slots is the Oggun at level 24, so if you're looking for a dodge-type crystal mech, this is the best option for a while.
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DREAD: Available level 18, or randomly (low chance) as a prize for beating Mission Boss 2. Costs niodes, 45 tons, 90 start armor, 5 weapon + 1/5 levels. Moderate bonuses to missile damage and trample while leveling, shield slot at 2, cockpit slot at 2, chassis slot at 11, engine slot at 13.
Has considerable Trample damage, so using it on the front lines with a powerful missile loadout can be quite nasty if it survives - remember the slow firing speed of missiles. The bonus missile damage on this mech is the best available for a while, so look for this mech if you have a load of good missile weapons.
The next few notable mechs are the crystal Nifthel at level 19 with two Shield and two Engine slots and bonuses to ice damage, the crystal Luison with double Shield slots and assorted bonuses, the niode Fides with its monstrous early double Chassis triple Shield double Engine slots, and the crystal Oggun with plenty of 2X damage bonuses and double Chassis slots.
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In closing - remember the above aren't "rules", they're hardly even "guidelines." Change things up as necessary. For example, if you have an iMech-heavy lineup, your opponent may come in with proj. shields. But proj. shields leave an opponent vulnerable to laserx. So if you load your iMechs with projectile and laser weapons, they're able to handle more than iMechs armed only with projectiles. Or suppose you watched a replay and saw your high-Dodge mechs fall to low-damage Precision type mechs. Chassis slots aren't great at shielding, but if you don't have a shield-type mech, you have to make do with what you have - so perhaps switch your Chassis slots to shield-type equipment to win.
Again - carefully select equipment and weapons that add to what your mech is already good at, or that compensates for weaknesses. But remember, what your mech is good at, or what your mech is weak at, is determined by your opponent as well as yourself.
Submitted by Jim Lee#843365
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