Still Taking Comic Script Ideas By Pat Willis#224534

Hello all, do folks enjoy the comics we run here both player generated, and official MG made? Got an idea and want in on the action of making a script that may see the light of day on our pages? Here's what you do to get one made...

1. Send a submission detailing how you want your comic to go,between 3-8 panels please.

2. Include your player ID# with the submission to receive proper credit for your idea.

3. We take the idea, talk among ourselves, and pass it along to Molly with recommendations on if it works or not, or how to make it work if necessary.

4. Molly has final say on what is approved or not. But if it does make it she will mark you down on her list for the idea submission, and it is passed along to the artist or artists (We still don't know who makes those great strips)

5. Once it gets to the artist it's approved all you have to do is sit and wait for it to come out. Once it sees daylight, Molly would then pay out, and we get the finished product to put in our pages here.

So there you have it folks five simple steps to comic strip stardom! Best part is we're always accepting scripts, so there is no real expiration date on this offer. Still here reading this? Get on outta here and go think up a comic script.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Happy Thanksgiving from David McCallum # 701548

Meanwhile, at the Turducken Cover munitions factory...

Happy Thanksgiving to the whole Mecha Galaxy

by David McCallum # 701548

A Special Double Weapon Review By Germán Jaramillo# 685605

A TOP LASER WEAPONRY STUDIO: BLUE DRAGON vs. TWIN GRAZER.

I. TWIN GRAZER
II. BLUE DRAGON
III. CONCLUSIONS
....................................................

I. THE TWIN GRAZER

1. INTRODUCTION/HISTORY:

The Alpha Corporation developed this devastating laser weapon as main tool of destruction for the terrific BFM Regis.

2. TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Manufacturer: Alpha Corporation.
Quality: Superior niobium based weaponry (Elite)

Damage: 125
Speed: 100 (Average)
Abilities: 3x Damage 10% & 2x Damage 10%

Availability: Limited.
Acquired through: Regis acquisition (carries a couple Twin Grazers)
The Alpha Corp. has forbidden the sell of this weapon in other way than mounted in their Regis mech. Minimum level required to buy it: NN.

3. OPERATIVE LIFE:

Currently now, is one of the top definitive laser weapons. You are entitled to celebrate each acquisition of this deadly destructive machine and fast equip it in your favored mech.

4. DESCRIPTION:

Morphology: An external and dreadful double-laser cannon montage, with firing dynamically adjustable with the telemetric mech systems and allowed to double, triple and eventually multiply by six the strength of each single laser beam targeting your unfortunate enemy.

5. EVALUATION:

Tier: XV
Score: 10/10 Excelsior.
Just… you want it.











...........................................

II. THE BLUE DRAGON


1. INTRODUCTION/HISTORY:

The Star Factories was the first one to incorporate this destructive laser on the painful 100 tons mech Fext, although this weapon was available in the weapon markets prior to the release of the Fext.

2. TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Manufacturer: Star Factories.
Quality: Superior niobium based weaponry (Elite)

Damage: 125
Speed: 104 (Superior)
Abilities: Crit-Kill 19%

Availability: Limited to 50 units.
Acquired through: Fext acquisition (The Fext carries a single Blue Dragon). Also acquirable in the official and black weapon markets.
Minimum level required to buy it: 107.
Cost: Resources per single laser: Ferrite: 2100; Bioptics: 2100, Niodes: 58.
Bulk: Each five: 232 Niodes (Saving 58 Niodes, 10,500 Ferrite and 10,500 Bioptics)

3. OPERATIVE LIFE:

Currently now, is one of the top definitive laser weapons. You are entitled to celebrate each acquisition of this deadly destructive machine and fast equip it in your favored mech.

4. DESCRIPTION:

Morphology: An external deadly single cannon supported by the AI targeting systems in the detection of the enemy mech’s weakness to aim for a kill shot.

Real combat tests show an average odd of one in two shots to destroy your enemy (Within the usual enhancements of pilot and machine at those high ranks).

5. EVALUATION:

Tier: XV
Score: 10/10 Excelsior.

There is hardly a better weapon than this one.
Your enemy might die fast enough as to be allowed to realize who he was fighting.












..........................................

III. CONCLUSIONS:

The Blue Dragon vs. the Twin Gazier:

Damage comparison: Both carry the same destructive power in isolated firing tests (without targeting systems)

Speed comparison: The Blue Dragon shows to be faster in its firing cadence by a significant timing.

Special: While the twin Grazier can get on an average, a higher damage thanks to an optimized damage scanning on the enemy systems, the Blue Dragon can just disable the entire mech on a perfect shot.

Availability: While the Twin Grazers can only be acquired through the Regis mech, the Blue Dragon was widely sold in the official and black markets. Recently, incorporated to the weapon systems of the newly released Fext. The last BFM 100 tons machine.

Finals: The Blue Dragon shows to be superior to the Twin Grazer… What doesn’t means that you should drop into the garbage your shiny Twin Grazers… Just keep them all!

Submitted by Germán Jaramillo# 685605

Triplex Matrix Weapon Review By Germán Jaramillo# 685605

1. INTRODUCTION/HISTORY:

The Star Factories developed the Triplex Matrix from an evolved prototype of the forerunner technology, releasing the weapon in 3303, after the Clan wars and a new wave of the Bismarck-Drocha’s League menace got defeated.

2. TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Manufacturer: Star Factories.
Quality: Advanced crystal based weaponry (Common & Limited)

Damage: 82 (The highest for crystal laser)
Speed: 101 (Above the average)
Abilities: 3x Damage 7%

Availability: Limited (50 available units per Squadron).
Min level required to buy it: 131.
Cost: Resources per single laser: ferrite: 3050; bioptics: 2100; crystal: 77
Bulk: Each five: 308 Crystal (Saving 77 crystal, 15,250 ferrite and 10,500 bioptics)

3. OPERATIVE LIFE:

Once you acquired the Triplex Matrix, they will stay forever in your secondary and back mech lines, probably replacing other weaker crystal laser montages.

4. DESCRIPTION:

Morphology: A montage of quartet laser cannon, allowed to triple the strength of each single beam burst.

The montage is suited to be covered inside the mech shielding while not on fire, protecting it from enemy impacts that may disable the weapon systems.


5. EVALUATION:

Tier VIII

Score: 10/10 (Top crystal standards)

Its high damage, decent speed and useful skill makes from this weapon a “must have” no matter if you were a crystal pilot or a niode one. You will always have slots where to allocate this marvelous laser even if you had a strong elite collection of weapons.

Acquire your 50 as soon as possible through the bulk option during a sale off and save a nasty amount of resources above 770 crystal, 152,500 ferrite and 105,000 bioptics for all the 50 Triplex Matrix montages.

Submitted by  Germán Jaramillo# 685605

The Fext A Mecha review by Germán Jaramillo# 685605

Designed for combat as an avatar of war, this demolition machine is the epitome of the destructive capacity of the 100 tons Titans.

Even if military achievements and the proverbial ability as a strategist of the General Nova fell into oblivion, the creation of the gargantuan designed by the General and produced by Star Factories, which is capable of devouring with astonishing ease to other mech of the same category, is enough in itself to immortalize the name of the great military.

Baptized as Fext, an abomination undead from the Nordic folklore of old Earth, this avatar of death is able to achieve targets capable of dismantling the primary systems of any enemy with a single shot from his formidable blue dragon laser mech.

The General Nova nourished the dream of creating his own creature during the long years piloting other mechs, developing tactics and maneuvers that made him legendary as pilot and lethally effective as military. Finally, came the day that the accumulation of experience saw the light in the form of a design of the definitive, developed weapon from the reverse of the Forerunner technology, a process that is not unknown in the creation of many of the most powerful BFM to us.

The strong points of the Fext relay in the focus rather than in a wide bow of capabilities. Betting on the specialization, Nova designed the Fext concentrating capacities, instead opting to cover an arc too broad of skills as to be as effective as he wanted.

Once reached its maximum development (on level 181), we obtain the following capabilities:

Speed: 5 (a nivel 142)
Laser damage: +55% (a nivel 176)
1.5x Damage: 60%
2x Damage: 29%
3x Damage: 28%
• In a perfect shot, the Fext can deliver 9x Damage!
Fork: 9%
Precision: 5
Ice Shield: 70%
Trample Shield: 50%
Cockpit Slots: 7
Chassis Slots: 7
Engine Slots: 6
Shield Slots: 5

As an additive to mobility systems higher than that normally a monster of its tonnage is able to use, it has a powerful armor incorporating a flow of exhaust radiant able to counteract the effect of cold-based enemy attacks.

Although the Fext firepower is concentrated on the use of the lasers that can be equipped (with a maximum of 60 level 181), with a system of telemetry dynamic and precognitive, able to increase the effectiveness of their lasers with high efficiency (55%), the weapon systems can analyze enemy mech selecting as a priority target their vulnerabilities, which empowers the Fext to cause devastating damage when it achieves an impact on the weak points.

This ability to impact on critical points causing a much higher than usual damage allows the Fext equip another weapon with which to be able to take advantage, despite sacrificing the laser weapons system’s capabilities, comparing him to the versatile and devastating Torrent and even surpassing it to draw enemy party's vulnerabilities, but possess the ability of the torrent of creating authentic curtains of fire able to devour entire enemy lines. In compensation, the Fext can destroy any enemy mech with a single accurate shot.

The General Nova ordered that the first to enjoy this wonderful machine of war, similar to an avatar of death and destruction were more powerful and skilled pilots of the first division during the year 3303 Clanwar.

Submitted by Germán Jaramillo# 685605

How Fair are the Prizes? by David McCallum #701548

Its been a funny war this one. Now the dust has settled and folks are digging into the post match carnage continuation that we refer to as a raid, it has allowed time for me to reflect on certain changes.


The big one of note has been my attitude towards the prize packs on offer. Yes, losing out big time during the Faction War may have had this question lurking in my subconcious, but I feel I can now finally weigh in with an opinion on that age old bone of contention, the fairness of prizes.


To summarise (in a very simplistic way) there appears to be 2 camps. Those in the lower divisions who look at the prizes on offer for the likes of Division 1 (especially the free mech for 8 kills) and state that it is unfair.


Then there are those who are actually in the upper brackets, whose response appears to be "stop mucking about trying to dominate the lower dvisions, get up here and earn the good stuff like we did."


MOAR! cry the hecklers...


Now don't get me wrong, I have hovered indecisivly between these two opinions. I can certainly recall being a lowly level 20ish newcomer, glancing up at Mount Olympus where the Gods bickered and fought and had avaricious thoughts about the prizes on offer there. I also recall a more recent period in divisions 4 or 5, steadily plugging away at silver medals, gathering useful weapon upgrades and equipment (plus the occasional mech) and being more than satisfied that I could.


And then this months war happened.


I can't say if it was because Fusion formed, or Cyberstorm disappeared, or the increase to minimum team numbers, or if it was a byproduct of the Myth and Legend snake draft competition, but you could hear the spread sheet wallahs having a furry caniption as their meticulous level management went out the window. Sometimes you just have to say "stuff it", put your best teams forward and play the cards you are dealt.


We got dealt Division 3.


While a daunting prospect in and of itself and definite uncharted territory for us, for the purposes of this dissertation it should be pointed out that Division 3 is the start of the top band of prize packs.


I'm going to pause at this point... the following section should in no way be construed as an attempt to insult the exploits of our noble opponents from the Elite Special Forces, Slaughter House 5 and last but by no means least, The Isle of Misfit Toys. It is simply the joy of a pilot who has remembered that, yes, there is a big difference in prizes when you go from one prize band to the next.


Oh, and since some areas of the world insist on litigation, parental guidance is recommended, viewer discretion advised, may not be safe for work or politically correct, do not even ATTEMPT to watch until you are onto your second coffee of the day, yadda yadda yadda...


And could somebody please get ready to hose the Smurfs off because you know how excitable they can get...





I think you get the picture. Some of you may need to speak to Dr Drake, he has the brain bleach.


But we got the same frikkin prizes as the Brotherhood!


Yeah yeah, I know you are going to point out that the NWH still get an extra big blue mech, but lets face it, that's about all they are going to keep... most of the rest is just going to get slagged for niodes. All things being relative, I got the better end of the deal.


The point of that little outburst however is to illustrate that yes, there are indeed benefits to moving up in divisions and fighting for the higher prizes. Some of you may have become so comfortable at the level/division you wish to dominate, you've forgotten the feeling that comes with a bigger payout.


Go and hit play again if you need a reminder.


Submitted by David McCallum #701548

Titan 100 Ton Mech by Spike Shepard #846030

100 Ton Titan

Ferrite: 21500
Bioptics: 21500
Niodes: 160

Tonnage 100
 Armour Points 270
 Start Weapons 10
 Min Level 98
 Min Heavy Skill 55
 Levels/Weapon 4


Bonuses
Build Laser Damage + 10%
Build Ice Damage +10%
Build Freeze + 4%
Build Fork + 4%
Build Speed - 24
Level 2 + 1 Chassis Slot
Level 3 + 1 Shield Slot
Level 4 + 1 Engine Slot
Level 4 + 1 Weapon Slot (+ every 4 levels)
Level 5 + 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 6 Slow (4)
Level 8 Fork + 4%
Level 10 + 1 Engine Slot
Level 11 + 1 Shield Slot
Level 12 Laser Damage + 5%
Level 13 + 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 14 Ice Damage + 5%
Level 15 + 1 Chassis Slot
Level 17 Trample 5%
Level 18 Fork + 4%
Level 21 3X Damage 10%
Level 22 Laser Damage + 5%
Level 23 Ice Damage + 5%
Level 24 + 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 25 Freeze 4%
Level 27 + 1 Chassis Slot
Level 28 Fork + 4%
 Level 30 + 1 Engine Slot
Level 31 Laser Damage + 5%
Level 32 + 1 Shield Slot
Level 33 Trample 5%
Level 34 Freeze 4%
Level 35 Ice Damage + 5%
Level 36 + 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 37 Laser Damage + 5%
Level 39 Fork + 4%
Level 40 + 1 Engine Slot
Level 41 Ice Damage + 5%
Level 43 Fork + 4%
Level 44 + 1 Shield Slot
Level 45 Laser Damage + 5%
Level 46 Freeze 4%
Level 48 Ice Damage + 5%
Level 50 Slow (10)
Level 50 2X Damage 10%
Level 54 Laser Damage + 5%
Level 58 Ice Damage + 5%
Level 61 + 1 Shield Slot
Level 62 Fork +4%
Level 64 Laser Damage + 5%
Level 66 Ice Damage + 5%
Level 71 + 1 Engine Slot
Level 72  + 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 74 Slow (8)
Level 75 2X Damage 10%
Level 79 Laser Damage + 5%
Level 81 + 1 Chassis Slot
Level 85 Ice Damage + 5%
Level 91 Fork + 4%
Level 100 3X Damage 10%
Level 100 Wide Fork 10%
Level 104 + 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 111 + 1 Chassis Slot
Level 126 + 1 Engine Slot
Level 140 + 1 Shield Slot
Level 155 + 1 Chassis Slot



Stats at level 155

Freeze 30%
Slow (30)
Fork 28%
Wide Fork 10%
Ice Damage + 50%
Laser Damage + 50%
Trample 10%
2 X Damage 20%
3 X Damage 10%


Slots

Cockpit - 6
Chassis - 6
Engine - 6
Shields - 6


Bios

 As the smoke swirled across the battlefield the fight was finally over. Titus was defeated and his mecha was left smoking. Shepard was sure Titus had ejected at the last minute but the smoke was so thick that visibility was poor and once again Titan had escaped. Once again Shepard and his pilots scoured the battlefield but only came up with one usable weapon, a Ferrite Storm, everything else left was worth little more than a few Ferrite. Shepard was frustrated! How many times can Titus escape?

How many times would he have to drag his mechs around Yomi's Reefs? Eventually the Bounty on Titus would not be worth the expenditure.

 Shepard returned to the Cockpit of Grimm-Luck, his Regi, and fired off the Twin Grazers in frustration at the empty hanger that Titus had emerged from. Surprisingly and quite unexpectedly there was a rumble and the hanger collapsed into the ground leaving a large hole. As the smoke and dust slowly cleared Shepard was sure he saw a glint of metal in the moonlight and approached the hanger to investigate. As Shepard drew closer he could see more than a glint of metal....he stood in awe of what he could see hidden below the hanger.

 The sight that met his eyes was one of a giant Blue and White Mech. It had to be at least 100 tons. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. The only distinguishing marking was down the left leg and read 'TITAN MK 01'.

 Slowly Shepard realised what he had found. He had found the reason Titus stuck to 'The Reefs' and why Titus kept coming back. Titus was building his own custom mecha! Shepard paused for a minute before calling his drop ship and loading the 'Titan' on board before Titus returned or anyone else turned up to lay claim to his prize.

 Back at Heroes HQ Shepard, along with the help of his clan mates quickly started work on analysing the Titan and the results were astounding.

Defensively it could hold it's own and when fitted with the right shields it was more than a match for any mecha currently known. Offensively though it excelled in many ways. Laser and Ice weapons had considerable damage boosts but the most impressive aspect of the Titan was a strange glowing crystalline substance encasing each of the weapon ports. When Laser or Ice weapons were fired from these ports the crystalline substance refracted the shot into many different pathways causing the weapon to 'fork' hitting additional targets with the same damage as the initial shot.

Clearly in the hands of the right pilot, like Titus, this mecha is more than deadly and able to take out a whole row of mecha with one well timed shot.

Submitted by Spike Shepard #846030

Equipment Game Debate By Pat Willis#224534

Hello all, I have an issue to bring to the table regarding equipment. Why is it we can't get pieces of equipment that do just speed, precision and dodge? Why do all the higher tonnage pieces have so many flaws built into them? And lastly why are shields so weak?

Lets look at the basic categories of speed, precision and dodge. On the lighter tonnage mechas there really is no problem you can find what you want minus shielding without much hassle or problems. The equipment does what it says it does then the higher your tonnage goes the more you start running into vulnerabilities, and speed losses. Last I heard it was harder to build something so small, as opposed to something so big. So shouldn't the deficiencies be more on the lighter mecha and get better as you go up in tonnage?

Also what is with the equipment limits? What suddenly you don't want my hard earned niodes for shoddy equipment? Weapon limits I can understand, but equip limits? What sense does that even make? Okay I'm going to spend extortion prices for a single piece of defective equipment but I can't cause I am at the limit...come again.  Yes extortion prices, like 56, 57,58, niodes per cockpit piece alone for 100 tonners, that's half a days lotto win. Now why in the hell would I shell that much out for defective equipment, that just gets worse as the tonnage goes up.

Can we talk about shielding for a minute as long as I have you here? Does shielding make sense to you? To me it doesn't, mainly because the only real individual weapon type is ice. Otherwise aren't lasers, and fire just different combinations of light, heat, chemical etc? Missiles and Projectiles, both impact and kinetic based damage, so why doesn't one protection type double up to cover its secondary damage source? Look in the crystal shields and you'll see what I am saying. Oh it'll protect from missiles with a shield at 26% or fire at the same percentage but then you get projectile and laser vulnerabilities. Granted at a reduced rate of 3% but really shouldn't it be  say Missile shield 26%, projectile shield 3%, Ice vulnerable 8%. Doesn't something along those lines make more sense?

So why would you go through the hassle of buying niodes, to buy this kick ass mecha, and all its weapons, only to get to the equipment and realize you are limited on what you can put in, every other piece the higher you go tonnage wise brings your mecha down, and you're spending premium prices on less than desirable equipment?

 I get they want game balance, and to bring new things to the table but this is just ridiculous dealing with it every time I get a new mecha. I like a challenge as much as the next guy, but I play games for fun, and to relax. If a game stops being relaxing to me and has the fun taken out of it I start to stay away from it. At this time it's a consideration  here, and it's mainly because of this equipment. So one more time, can we please get equipment that does what it is supposed to do?

We don't need all this x2 or x3 damage added in to our precision if it means taking away speed or a vulnerability attached. How bout one simple speed rating, then do the same for dodge with the chassis, and precision for aim. That's really all folks want. No need to get all complex with it and have a plus to this, this, and that, but then get slammed by built in defects. Or at least lower the prices for gear with all that extra crap attached to it. Cause I don't know about you but I won't shell out those kind of niodes for vulnerable crap equipment.

 Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Expanding Cables Equipment Review by David McCallum #701548

Right, back to school for a few seconds, so that we are all on the same page.


Your offensive systems belong in the cockpit and engine slots; precision so you can hit things and speed so you can fire fast.


Defense belongs (obviously) in the shield slots, but also in chassis; that's where you get the dodge that means you don't get hit.


So if the equipment manufacturers are in any way asking you to give up any of those core stats, you need to think really long and hard about it. Is the added trick really worth the loss?


Time to examine this latest offering on the market, Expanding Cables.


They weigh in with a book price of 442 Ferrite, 286 Bioptics and 40 Crystal. For this you get a dodge rating of 10, a 2% triple damage multiplier and 5% vulnerability to ice weapons. Comparative package for the same tonnage range is calibrated joints, at 9 dodge, a speed bump of 2, 30% trample shield (very useful) and a lesser fire vulnerability of 3%. Horses for courses, one defensive package vs an offensive package.


Of course compare this to Spinal Bracing with a dodge of 12 covering the low end tonnage range and Frictionless Bearings for 13 dodge up at the top. Dodge is your main stat coming from a chassis piece, so any dodge loss has to be really, really worth it.


So we are being asked to give up 2, or 3 at higher tonnage, of defensive dodge, and return we get a minuscule chance of triple damage, plus a bonus of... no, make that another loss of defence as well.


The problem I have with that is that at low tonnage, you hardly have enough shield slots to leave you without a gaping hole to start with... and now you want me to give up even more vulnerabilities?


And by the time you can field tonnage that can cover that deficit with shields, you've got the option, in crystal, of Ankles Supports that give up some defence for a different type of defence, no vulnerability, and a damage increase that has twice the ratio.


All in all, if you are the kind of berserker loon who cares only for large explosions and has no concept of personal safety, this is the ideal system to add to your machines.


For the rest of us... maybe pass this one by.



Submitted by David McCallum #701548

Oopsy By Mark SHC Wiseman#12304

Submitted by Mark SHC Wiseman#12304

A Long History By Germán Jaramillo Pulido ID # 685605

WINDS OF WAR (Chapter One)

A Chronicle of the 82nd Omicron Guard from the RND Caissan Regiments in the 3303 Clanwar.

First Round

The luck was thrown: The strategists of the R&D Staff who had plan the master lines for this current war had mistake their calculations by a thin margin as a blink… But that mistake was enough to make the Galactic Senate to fix the 82nd Omicron Guard in a higher and unexpected division: The sixth instead the seventh were we could just trample towards the victory. Instead, we had a harsh panorama where our chances got drastically lowered.

When the news arrived to our Caissan Winter Headquarters, the reactions were diverse: Shock and surprise for some, deep thoughts for others, excitation for many.

The Squad Commanders ran to accelerate the preparation for the oncoming carnage and re-calibrating the mechs for the new required maneuvers and tactics… But some, some felt a warmly dance in their stomachs, tasting the flavor of the true risk of war, the taste of the unknown, the adventure that, after all, is a common and old Lady all we met and beloved since our careers as mech pilots started.

Soon, the first squadrons were ready to jump into the battlefields chosen by the Senate in secret deliberation, allowing the participants to know the exactly location a short lapse de time before so no one clan could acquire advantage by scanning the terrain before than any other.

The Niobium signatures opening the gateways were received and without anymore delay, our Commanders led towards the adventure to our well trained companies, leaving the cold plains and white fjords of the blue Caissa, a cold planet in surface, but inhabited by a population with a burning passion in their hearts.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o o o O O O o o o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I checked personally the formations of my squad from my Commanding mech “Absolute Zero”, a tuned Boreas in which I had the honor to conquer the Gold in the last Faction War. And line after line, we vanished from Caissa towards an uncertain future.

Our first opponent, randomly selected by the super computers of OMNIA (Omniscient Millenary Numbers Intelligence Array), was Defenders of Bunny. Some of the old school pilots could remember only a time when the 82nd Omicron Guard was young and the head lance of the R&D battalions, they had a war in division six, where they got defeated by an early but strong Zeon Clan... The good of our elder veterans had fought yet in almost every battlefield along the wide and far galaxy and for them, every classic clan was like an old known fellow.

There we were and in the horizon, we could spot a thin pink and pale line of enemy mechs, some hundred miles away and only well reachable with the support of our drone assisted telemetry from a grey and harsh sky, ornate with three carried moons. All right: the Proximal Xenia planet was not what we could call as a Paradise for holidays, but as battlefield seemed excellent as everyone could fight there without being afraid of the ambient environments and the biological hazards.

I requested from Marie a bigger image from our far telemetry systems to better scan our opponent... (Marie is the IA I had installed in my commanding Boreas and which remembers me my true love… But this is another story that I will keep for a different time as she doesn’t matter now).

The first images arrived distorted by the strong magnetic field of Xenia, but soon fixed with the re-calibration of the drone sensors I could finally appreciate the deadly and annoying chassis shape of the Defenders of Bunny. A short tremble assaulted me while looking the bizarre enemy mechs… Those machines of mass destruction looked sinister with those deviant painted bunnies extracted from some nightmare… Their Crest showed a bloodthirsty rabbit with a razor in his hand and as motto… ka-click...Bizarre!

Naive and innocent bunny’s weapon till their shark like teeth? By all means, if we were not veterans who already saw almost everything, we could scare with those insidious distortions of innocence as in a psychological attack… but crap, our many pilots already had received their fire baptism after many battles and the enemy’s war pictures couldn’t even make us blink. Oh man, I am ashamed to say I took this as a personal goal as my first girlfriend loved the rabbits and I get really annoyed when I meet anything reminding me to her, so I decided to scrap every one of their painted chassis and crests with some focused devotion.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o o o O O O o o o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As the arbiters signal to start the battle got spread and the inhibitors keeping our mechas in stand by turned off and the action started.

Hello there, Bunnies. Did you have a decent master of dance? Let’s play then!

And the battle started with the squadrons of Mochammad Amirullah and Sean Wadey trampling in a crazy run towards an enemy that seemed cautious, evaluating our forces in a defensive stance before counterattack.

Our cockpits became to boil with the rivers of battle data and tempered orders flowing from our many scans into our IAs, allowing us to reevaluate each small action and supporting us to take fast decisions in the term of micro seconds.

The first blood split was from our enemy and in the middle of the sudden battle storm, appeared among the fog and the confusion the squad of one of their heroes: Bolverk Borson, who charged against our fellows Joe and Amir.

The luck was threw, soon the fields were covered by the battle fog, the hell like flames, the numerous laser beams, curtains of projectiles, rain of missiles, explosions and sudden mech statues of ice crystal, reflecting the many lights as if the most beauty fireworks were thrown. There is always a split of second where I get in ecstasies before the luminescence fireworks from the weaponry. I pledge that sometimes, that show is so incredible than the IA gets forced to drag me outside my statuary status.

So I didn’t lose more time and led my squad towards the very center of the war theater.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o o o O O O o o o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A dense fog was hugging the burned soil, showing sometimes the remnants from what it was some hours before some deadly and gallard looking battle mechs.

There you could find some scraps showing the Big O emblem, the banner of our Clan, but more of them, showed the rabid rabbit of our enemy.

When a sudden big wind gust spread enough of that dense fog, allowing us to spot a wide portion of the battlefield, I got surprised by the bloody feast we caused… So after all, our debut in the Sixth division was not as bad.

By the operative channel we heard the short words of our Commandant, Jeff Pizanti: “Jacque Mate”… So all got said, and soon, I started to catch the hooray s of victory of our boys.

This is, while our reckon squads completed the patrol through the rough terrain looking for any last resistance; I could admire the remnants of a sea of expensive garbage made with thousands of tons of ferrite, bioptics, crystal and Niodes… Niode matrices even burning some of which maybe could be rescued… Of course, we are gentlemen and we allowed to the Bunnies to recover their own remnants and lick their wounds in peace. The battle had succeed in an honorable way and I have to admit that now, when I find a painted rabbit chassis, I don’t frown recalling that ex-girlfriend of old… but with admiration to an opponent who when he knew he was overwhelmed, he fought with courage and valor, never falling in desperation.

I hail you, Bunnies.

Later, the judges reported us the score for this first round: 146 vs. 71… We just trampled our opponents during the battle!

Another good news: no one got real casualties (aside the several and incredible expensive mechs damaged), so all we could celebrate a decent enough victory as the Bunnies could at least extract some important lessons to use to try kick our arses in our future encounters.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o o o O O O o o o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Encouraged by our first victory, some started to ex-peculate about our opening chances to conquer the appreciated gold, approaching the 82nd another step in the path of our long time unbeatable brothers of our insignia ship: the glorious and shiny 99th Chessmen [R&D Core], our star unit.

Then, the base megaphone announced the scores for the other divisions and clans…

FUSION, the favorite in div1 after the mysterious vanish of the legendary and eternal Cyberstorm, obtained a great victory consolidating the previsions of everyone… Below the First Division, the prestigious names succeeded one after all, all of them without surprises, confirming our bets, until they mentioned the results for the tenth division, announcing the fall of our beloved brothers of the 99th Chessmen.
A shock for many of us, that the honey of our victory could hardly cover.

Yes, we knew that silver couldn’t be a trouble for our dethroned brothers and the gold in their division now seemed clear to end in the hands of those who defeated our fellows… One of those many AFF flagged Clans: the Avenger.

I believe Avenger made honor to their battle name, as they effectively revenged to the many AFF flags that along the time felt before the power and triumphal march of the Chessmen...

End of Round One...

 Submitted by Germán Jaramillo Pulido ID # 685605