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6.1: GENERAL QUESTIONS |
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"Mecha" originally derives for the word "mechanic", used by Japanese animators to refer to technological elements of the shows. It eventually came to be synonymous with 'giant robot' both to the animators and fans, and to characters within the shows themselves. Since many of the machines in Robotech are based on the 'giant robot' mode, the word 'mecha' is commonly used.
This is never comprehensively answered in the show. All books and comics written after the McKinney novelizations imply that protoculture is some sort of fluid that runs throughout the mecha (and the traces of it in the Zentraedi). This idea seems to be originally McKinney's. The earliest comprehensive description of what protoculture actually does in the generation of power is in Comico's _Robotech: The Graphic Novel_. Zor says, "But look at these seeds! The miracle of clean energy -- It never fails to astound me. How each seed strives to divide -- but when placed in a pressurized chamber, is arrested in mid-division... so long as the pressure is precisely maintained, the seed radiates heat, which we ultimately to energy." Since Carl Macek worked closely with the author on the graphic novel (unlike the novelizations, where Macek has implied McKinney was on his own), we can take this as the closest to the original conception.
Usually, the mecha were supposed to be fusion-powered. The messy issue of how the heat gets converted into electricity or motive power (in both the original anime and Robotech) is neatly ducked. In Mospeada (New Generation) the fuel cells were Hydrogen and Oxygen. In some scenes, 'HOH' can be seen written on the cells.
6.2: ROBOTECH: MACROSS MECHA |
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The Veritech (a.k.a. VF-1 Valkyrie) resembles a U.S. F-14 Tomcat in fighter mode, but can convert into a 45-foot tall giant robot (Battloid mode), and an intermediate stage called Guardian (called GERWALK in the Japanese version) that resembles a fighter plane's wings, fuselage, and cockpit, with the engines/legs swung forward like the talons of a bird of prey, and the arms sticking out the sides. The weapons include: 12 missiles under the wings, 1 to 4 lasers on the head (a turret in fighter and Guardian modes), a 55mm rotary gun-pod held in the hand (or on the underbelly in fighter mode). There are also lasers in blisters on the nose in fighter mode, but these are only seen in two episodes, and their existence is a source of controversy among the more pedantic breed of fan. The number of lasers on the head differentiate the various models, and rank of the pilot.
Half-way through the Macross part of the show, we are introduced to the Armored Veritech, which consists of a standard Veritech in Battloid mode, with armor added to every part of the body but the head, and enough bays to hold almost 70 small missiles. There are two small booster packs added to the back as well.
Towards the end of the Macross part of the show, we are introduced to the Super Veritech. This is a standard Veritech with armor/thruster packs added to the arms and legs, and two large booster packs on the back. The front of the booster packs have 4 launchers each for multiple small missiles. Under the wings, one sometimes sees six very powerful and large missiles. The addition of the armor does not (unlike the Armored Veritech) inhibit transformation in any way.
The biggest difference is that the Macross originals use fusion power, where the primary power source of the Robotech versions are powered by protoculture. In addition, the novels introduce the idea of the 'thinking cap', through which the pilot's thoughts translate into the Veritech's actions to some extent. This idea is completely absent from the original Macross Valkyrie.
The pilot is located in the center of the chest on all Macross-era Veritechs, behind the plate that slides over the canopy. We see this clearly when Breetai is involved in a fist-fight with Rick's VF-1J in the episodes "Blind Game" and "First Contact". Somewhere the misconception came about that in the trainer (VF-1D according to Macross, VT-1D according to the Palladium role-playing game), the pilot sits in the head (this has appeared, among other places in the comic _Invid War: Aftermath_). This is mistaken. A close examination of the second episode (where Rick emerges from the trainer and converses with Minmei) reveals that the head folds completely forwards, and then the instructor's and pilot's seats (in that order) emerge from deep inside the torso.
However one generates power, one still has to convert it to thrust. The mecha designers for the Japanese TV show realized this, and added intakes to the Veritech. In an atmosphere, air is sucked in, heated in the fusion engine, and jetted out as exhaust. It's a way of minimizing fuel use in the atmosphere. Even in Robotech (with protoculture), one still needs to spit mass out the back to accelerate the plane, so Robotech's innovations do not make the intakes obsolete.
The Destroids are generally seen only in the background in the show, but several have grown very popular with fans. Destroids are non-transformable Battloids, for the most part similar in height to the Veritech. They are the RDF's walking artillery platforms.
One type is the Excalibur. With 12 missiles on each shoulder, a gun cluster near what passes for an arm pit, a machine-gun on the nose, a launcher with six missiles over one shoulder and a searchlight on the other, and two huge particle guns that pass for arms, this Destroid is the workhorse of the RDF.
Built on the same set of legs, the Spartan is much simpler in design, boasting only a large missile drum for each arm. This is the long-range artillery battery of the RDF.
Also on the same set of legs as the Excalibur is the lightest of the Destroids, the Raidar X. This mecha is an air-defense weapon, with two long laser cannons on each arm.
Rounding out the smaller Destroids is the Gladiator, a compact mecha for close fighting. It is the only one with hands, and can carry a club, or presumably a gun pod. It is armed with a 12 missiles on each shoulder, a gun cluster in the center torso, and a light anti-air laser on top.
The behemoth of the Destroids is the MAC II. In effect, it's a 4-barreled 16 inch battleship turret with legs and two tri-barreled laser cannon arms.
Firstly, the Destroids are fusion-powered in the Japanese originals. In addition, the guns on the arms of the Raidar X and the MAC II are not lasers, but respectively, 78mm autocannon and missile launchers. Macek has commented that in his view, all weapons in Robotech were beam guns (recall that all of this was before the release of _Aliens_, which brought conventional projectile weapons back in vogue in American Sci-Fi, whereas they had been the rage in Japanese anime for years, working alongside lasers and particle guns).
Finally, there are the names. While Destroid names are rarely mentioned in the show, the Japanese ones seem to be the ones most often used. (The exception is a reference in the background to a 'Gladiator squadron'.) However, with the release of the Matchbox die-cast Destroids, new names were given. What Matchbox calls the Excalibur was originally the Tomahawk, the Raidar X was originally the Defender, the Gladiator was originally the Spartan, the Spartan was originally the Phalanx, and the MAC II was originally the Destroid Monster.
If you believe the dialogue, 50 feet. However, in the original Macross, the average Zentraedi was just shy of 10 meters (33 feet), and this is how they are drawn in the show, relative to the humans and the Earth mecha.
The Zentraedi use a wide array of mecha. Most common is the Regult Battle Pod, which looks like a giant bird egg, with only the legs protruding. It is armed with two particle gun, two smaller forward-firing anti-personnel auto-cannon, and two rear-firing anti-aircraft lasers. This mecha is around 50 feet tall.
There are three variants of the Battle Pod. Two sacrifice the top-lasers with light and heavy missile batteries, respectively. The third sacrifices all weapons and is a recon unit.
The Zentraedi Officer pilots the Glaug Officer's Pod. It is similar to the Regault, but the torso is more stretched, it is larger, and has arms. Armed with a top-mounted particle gun, a particle cannon and an impact cannon on each arm and two light anti-personnel cannon, this is a formidable weapon. The Glaug can be attached to a rocket sled for additional speed and flight capabilities.
The alternate pod for male Zentraedi is the Nosjaedul-ger power armor. Humanoid in shape, the Zentraedi wears it like an over-sized suit. It is armed with an impact cannon in the chest, a particle gun on the shoulder, and a hand-held laser cannon.
The Zentraedi's most lethal weapon is the Quaedluun-rau power armor, worn by female officers. Larger than the male power armor, it is faster and more deadly. It is armed with two impact cannons on the chest, a tri-barreled particle gun in each forearm, and a launcher with 17 small missiles on each hip, and on the top of each side of the thruster-backpack. The female power armor is also gifted with enormous maneuverability and acceleration.
The Zentraedi air forces consist of the Fighter Pod, essentially an elongated three-sided pyramid with engines on the bottom. There is a dual missile launcher on each side, and a cluster of particle guns in the nose.
The Zentraedi employ other vessels, most notable being the Quel-Qualie Theater Recon Scout pod. Far larger than any other mecha, this large craft is mainly used for intelligence, though it is well-armed with missiles and cannon. The Zentraedi also use a saucer-shaped landing vessel, to deliver Battle Pods to the theater of engagement.
But don't think the Zentraedi is helpless out of his war machine. He can wear either a light or heavy combat armor, and is issued a large gun pod, equivalent to that on the Veritech. And a 35-foot tall (or 50, depending on your preference - footage or dialogue) warrior is no slouch with his bare hands, either. Breetai (taller than most Zentraedi) knocked around Rick's Veritech with little effort.
The main difference is that in Robotech the mecha are powered by protoculture, where in the Japanese original, they are fusion powered.
Robotech's SDF-1 is fairly close to the one from the original TV series. The original version possessed several capabilities that the Zentraedi were very eager to possess, including self-repairing systems and an advanced fold drive system. The original was powered by overtechnology reactor systems instead of protoculture systems used by the Robotech version. Also, the original SDF-1 did NOT have anything resembling a Protoculture Matrix hidden aboard the vessel. The Zentraedi wanted the vessel itself, and not anything contained in its hull.
The Japanese SDF-1 was built by an unnamed race that were also enemies of the Zentraedi. The actual identity of the builders is never revealed in the series, though they are presumably humanoids somewhat similar in size to humans. The Japanese SDF-1 was NOT constructed by the Robotech Masters, or the Zor Lords from "Super Dimensional Calvary Southern Cross".
Yes, slightly. The SDF-1 in the Movie had a slightly different body styling, including squarish booms for the main guns instead of the tapered look of the TV series. The movie SDF-1 also had two Armor-type weapons platforms for arms instead of naval warships. The movie design for the SDF-1 is actually closer to the TV SDF-2 design than the TV SDF-1 design.
In the original TV series, the SDF-2 was being constructed on the Moon to take advantage of the lower gravity there. Construction of the ship did not begin until after Kamijn (Khyron) destroyed the SDF-1 Macross, and thus the SDF-2 never appeared in the original footage of the final episode of Macross. The SDF-1 is the only ship in the New Macross lake during Kamijn's attack.
Carl Macek explained that the vessels were back-to-back, but no pictures or footage supported this claim until the Comico adaptation of Robotech. Macek wanted to include the SDF-2 in the final battle to help explain the three mounds seen in Southern Cross, thus creating continuity between the two sagas.
The SDF-2 in the Macross TV series was much closer in design to the original SDF-1, retaining the same basic shape and the ability to transform between two different modes of operation. The TV SDF-2 was 1620 meters in length, 420 meters larger than the SDF-1. The SDF-2 also had two Armor-type weapons platforms for arms instead of the warships incorporated into the SDF-1. In the original TV series, the SDF-2 was intended to repace the SDF-1 as the flagship of the Earth defense fleets.
The SDF-2 from Macross 2012 is MUCH different from the TV version, however. Instead of being a warship, the 2012 SDF-2 is a colony ship intended to help the survivors of the Earth/Zentran/Meltran War find a new home. The 2012 SDF-2 is restricted to one form and can NOT switch into a humanoid mode. The front 2/3rds of the ship encloses a complete city for colonists aboard the ship. The general shape is vaguely like the SDF-1 in flight mode, but much larger with large wing-like structures on the sides for troops and mecha. Although the exact size of the SDF-2 is not given, it is about 50% larger than a Zentran Nupetiet-vernitzs flagship; somewhere around 7,500 meters long.
The concept for the SDF-3 was an original creation by Carl Macek to explain why the main characters from the Macross saga didn't appear in Southern Cross or New Generation. The SDF-3 never actually "existed" in any of the original Macross, Southern Cross, or Mospeada footage and thus never made into the footage that made up Robotech. This also explains why the SDF-3 had to "vanish" while folding from Tirol to Earth; the ship didn't exist in the footage of the Mospeada battle sequences. The SDF-3 appears only in the Sentinels and in Eternity's comic book adaptations for Sentinels.
No, the SDF-3 is unique to Robotech and the Sentinels. Neither it nor any ships similar to it have appeared in Japanese animation.
6.3: ROBOTECH MASTERS MECHA |
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The Armies of the Southern Cross have at their disposal various transformable & non-transformable mecha as diverse as the 15 branches themselves. The vehicles are perfectly adapted for the elements of air, land, space, & water offering excellent performance, maneuverability, & a host of deadly & accurate weapon systems that make the Armies of the Southern Cross a formidable force to be reckoned with.
The following are the transformable mecha:
LOGAN - A second-generation veritech fighter developed specifically for the Armies. Much smaller & lighter than the original VF-1 series, it offers greater speed & maneuverability. The most striking feature of this new fighter the availability of TWO modes instead of three: fighter & guardian. It is primarily designed for fast, aerial & battlefield combat, not for prolonged battles. The primary weapon system of the Logan are two forward-firing high-powered lasers mounted into the "shoulders" of the fighter, a rapid-fire particle beam tri-cannon mounted in the nose, and the E-20 Gun Pod. For defense the Logan's wings, composed of complex alloys and ceramics can be used as arm shields for parrying missiles or other forms of attack.
AJACS (Ajacs Veritech Attack Helicopter) - An extremely maneuverable vehicle designed primarily for space combat, although in fighter mode it resembles a helicopter. Like the Logan, it too has only two modes: helicopter & battloid configurations. It is extremely agile in all environments & can nearly outmaneuver anything in space, thanks to a host of maneuvering thrusters built into its feet, arms, & helicopter blades. The weapon systems include a forward laser built into the nose/head of the helicopter, a pulse laser mounted on the right arm resembling a gun pod (although it can be detached if necessary & mounted on the other arm), optional use of the EU-11 & E-20 gun pods (not normally carried), & a missile pod on each wing carrying up to 8 medium-range missiles each.
HOVER TANK (Veritech Hover Tank [VHT]) - Toughest & most powerful mecha in use by the Armies. Much smaller than previous Destroid & Veritech fighters, the VHT is a land vehicle. In tank mode, the vehicle is a highly-maneuverable armored transport riding off the ground on jets of air. Conversion into transport (or guardian) mode raises the main platform on its feet & extends the main cannon & triple-barreled auto cannon. Although this mode makes the VHT the most vulnerable because of its severely restricted mobility (maximum speed is 8 mph), the amounts of damage it can unleash are tremendous. There is a controversy between the Robotech Mailing List & Palladium as to the nature of the Main Cannon. According to Palladium, the weapon is a rapid-fire ion cannon firing powerful energy blasts up to 30 times in succession, at which point the pilot will have to wait for the ion generator to recharge the weapon at a rate of 10 blasts per hour. According to the Robotech Mailing List, animation footage indicates that the blasts travel in an arc, suggesting the use of projectiles. As such the group has come up with stats for various types of shells, ranging from armor-piercing to high explosive to smoke carried in various combinations depending on mission type or availability. Whichever system is correct is strictly up to the individual fan or game master. The triple-barrelled auto cannon fires 32mm rounds in rapid bursts with enough ammo for 5 reloadings for a total of 200 bursts. Conversion into battloid mode produces a highly-agile robot with tough arm shields allowing it to parry huge amounts of damage thanks to hi-tech armor. It is armed with the EU-11 energy gun pod, which is stowed in the forward center of the vehicle in tank mode. In tank mode, the gun pod can be used although the entire vehicle has to be moved in order to aim it. The main cannon can also be fired during battloid mode, but it takes a long time to extend it out of its arm-shield & aim it, making the VHT vulnerable during this period.
The non-transformable battloids are all giant mecha of humanoid shape with the same basic design but specially adapted for various uses in the 15 branches. Their primary purpose is rescue, recovery, & reconnaissance. They are all agile, possess great strength, excellent sensors, & can handle most tasks better than normal construction or earth moving equipment.
GLOBAL MILITARY POLICE MULTIPURPOSE BATTLOID - Most powerful & heavily armed of the class. The mecha can function well in all environments & has limited flight capabilities enhanced by a detachable jet pack. Its reinforced forearms function as shields & a spotlight in the chest. Weapons include laser cannons in the head and use of the EU-11 & E-20 gun pods for added fire power.
TACTICAL CORPS RECON BATTLOID - Used for rescue, reconnaissance, & recovery. The mecha has an enhanced sensor array, radar & video system. Less heavily armored, combat is restricted to troop support & scouting, but it is still formidable. Weapons include twin heavy-duty head lasers & optional use of gun pods (EU-11 usually carried).
COSMIC UNIT SPACE BATTLOID - Specifically designed for space, the mecha can also operate underwater. A jet-pack enhances mobility in addition to standard directional thrusters. It also features a chest-mounted towline launcher for hauling up to 30 tons of material using a variety of attachments. There are no built-in weapon systems, but the E-20 gun pod is normally carried & the EU-11 can be used.
CIVIL DEFENSE CORPS LIGHT BATTLOID - Designed for urban combat, law enforcement, & riot control. It includes heavy arm shields, a head spotlights & jet thrusters for leaping, jumping, & underwater operations. It is used by the mecha pilot grunts. Weapon systems are 2 mini-head lasers, the E-20 gun pod, & optional use of the EU-11 gun pod.
CIVIL DEFENSE CORPS BATTLOID - A more heavily armored version of the Light Battloid operated by officers. Differences include a redesigned head, head lasers, & larger mass. It offers greater protection, but is heavier & slower. Weapon systems are the head lasers, the EU-11 gun pod, & optional use of the E-20.
Southern Cross mecha are smaller and more efficient than their RDF predecessors. Most of the new mecha are powered by fusion reactors instead of Protoculture systems, due to the scarcity of Protoculture on Earth after the SDF-3 left. There are three major mecha that are featured prominently in the Masters chapter of Robotech:
The Logan
The Logan is a new generation veritech fighter that makes up the majority of the Earth air forces. It is MUCH smaller than the original VF-1 Veritechs; only 6.29 meters compared to the VF-1's 14.23 meters. Also, the Logan is only capable of TWO modes of operation, a jet mode and a half-battloid/half-gladiator mode. The Logan is rowboat shaped with small wings and a large domed cockpit. Armament consists of a tribarrel laser cannon on the nose/head, missiles on the wings, and a gun pod that is handheld in battloid mode.
The main Southern Cross mecha in Robotech are very similar to the original designs. The Hovertank was orignally named the "Spartan" and the AJACS was orignally named the "Auroran". Also, most mecha weaponry in the original series were projectile weapons instead of energy weapons. Other than that most stats and weaponry are the same.
Many of the SC Battloids featured in Palladium Games' adaptation of Southern Cross are based on single sketches or brief descriptions, so weaponry and specs may not be accurate. There is also strong evidence that what Siembeida calls EBSIS Mecha are actually powered suits used by the Southern Cross armies. The EBSIS soldier battloid for example is probably an undersea powered armor suit, based on sketches included in "This is Animation #10: Southern Cross".
The Robotech Masters use Bioroids, 7 meter tall humanoid robots, as their mecha of choice. All bioroid designs are very similar; bubulous and flared armor with muscular arms and broad, three-toed feet. Differences between the units can mainly be determined by the heads, which are styled differently for different units. The main types of bioroids used by the Masters are:
Worker Bioroid (unarmed worker unit) Blue Bioroid (standard combat unit) Green Bioroid (higher ranking combat unit) Red Bioroid (squadron leader) Invid Fighers (Red-Bioroid variations that work in teams of three)
Bioroids are piloted by clones. The lower units such as the Worker Bioroid and the Blue Bioroid can be piloted by nonhuman clones which are little more than primitive brains in a fleshy support system. Higher bioroids require humanoid clones to operate at full efficiency.
All Bioroids are unarmed. Instead, they are provided with a series of hand-held weapons for attack and defense, as well as a very fast and heavily armed anti-gravity platform for increased mobility. Bioroids are usually controlled from a separate Robotech Master Attack Craft; a heavily-armed shuttle that can transport bioroids to a combat zone and then transport them away after the battle.
The main difference between Robotech Bioroids and SC Bioroids is that SC Bioroids could be piloted by brainwashed humanoids instead of clones. This meant that the Zor Lords (Robotech Masters) could use captured humans instead of clones to attack the armies of the Southern Cross. The SC Bioroids are also powered by a fusion-like power source instead of protoculture. Other than that, the Robotech Bioroids are extremely close to their original versions.
6.4: ROBOTECH NEW GENERATION MECHA |
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The mecha of Mospeada, or Robotech: The New Generation is very different from the mecha of the two previous generations. On the side of earth are three transformable mecha unlike any seen before in Robotech, and for the first time the primary enemy is not a humanoid species. In addition, there is very little space combat as the Invid control the earth and most of the fighting is on the ground.
Cyclones The Cyclone is more of a battlesuit than a full mecha, consisting of a transformable motorcycle and body armor onto which it mounts. The Cyclone comes in three forms, the VR-038-LT Light Cyclone, the VR-041-H Saber, and the VR-052A/B Battler. Armament is as follows: The LT has no built-in weapon systems, but mounts an RL-6 rocket cannon on the right front end in cycle mode and on the right arm in battloid mode. The Saber mounts twelve RPGs, six housed on each side of the chest in battloid mode and on the front end in cycle mode. In addition, although never seen in the footage there is a retractable vibroblade mounted in each front wheel housing, which is mounted on the arm in battloid mode. The battler cyclone comes in two varieties; the first mounts 2 missiles on each forearm while the second mounts a particle cannon on the right forearm.
Alpha Fighter The VAF-06 Alpha Fighter is the New Generation's equivalent to the original VF-1 series. It's primary weapon, however, is missiles. A grand total of 60 missiles are carried internally; 8 on each shoulder, 10 on each forearm and 12 on each leg. The Alpha also carries a 35mm tri-barreled cannon which is usually mounted outside the undercarraige in fighter mode. The Alpha is smaller than the VF-1, standing only 28ft high or so, and is slightly slower, but is considerably more maneuverable. It also is not capable of achieving orbit of any kind by itself, although it is filly transatmospheric when paired with a Beta Fighter. Later versions of the Alpha carry what is known as a "shadow device", which allows them to not be seen on the Invid's protoculture sensors, and a "destabilizer", which allows the alpha to create holes in the force fields that surround invid hives.
Beta Fighter The VBF-1 Beta fighter is something of an enigma in the series, as its function is never fully explained in the series. It is a large heavy fighter, looking something akin to a brick with wings in fighter mode, and a short, squat destroid in battloid mode. Unlike the alpha, it is a two form veritech, but it also has the ability to link up with an alpha to form a single, large unit capable of transatmospheric flight. The beta is often seen linked up with no pilot; the pilot of the alpha can control the whole system as a single unit. While linked up, the alpha can transform into battloid mode giving the alpha pilot greater flexibility in combat. The beta carries a wide range of weapon systems: 3 cannon, fixed firing forward in fighter mode, 2 sets of missile launchers - one in the chest and the other popping up from the shoulders, and 2 tri-barreled particle cannon (one mounted on each wrist). The beta is also one of the most heavily armored mechs in Robotech, able to take a direct shot from an invid plasma cannon and not get scratched. The beta also has a shadow version, but this is only seen used in conjunction with a shadow alpha.
In the original Japanese show, the cyclone was referred to as the M.O.S.P.E.A.D.A., which was an acronym for Mobile Operation Soldier Protection Emergency Aviation Drive (or Dive) Auto. The alpha fighter was referred to as the Legios, although that name was also used for the linked alpha/beta combo, and the beta was known as the "Tread". Instead of being a separate combat mecha counterpart to the Legios, the Tread was primarily an unmanned booster, designed to increase the capability of the Legios. In addition, all mecha ran on fusion power, not protoculture.
No, there are no destroids in Mospeada. This is because, unlike the other two series the primary purpose is attack, not defense, and while good at defending a set location, destroids are not very good at fast attacks and movement. In addition, destroids require large landing craft to get them to the planet's surface, and large vessels have been shown to be sitting ducks against the invid.
Invid mecha: The invid use 5 primary mecha types, with minor vairations is a couple of them. The majority of them are insectoid or crab-like in shape, armed with claws and plasma "anhiallation disc" weapons, and are capable of flight.
Invid Scout/Armored Scout: This is the most common mecha in the Invid arsenal, a small (about the size of a modern car) red crab-like mecha whose primary armament is its large strong claws that are capable of ripping open mecha and starships alike. The Armored Scout version adds a pair of plasma cannon mounted on the shoulders. Their primary weak point is their sensor "eye", mounted directly in front of the cockpit. A direct hit will break through and kill the pilot.
Invid Trooper/Shock Trooper: This is the primary soldier mecha of the invid, a large (almost 20 feet tall) purple mecha that looks like a beetle on steroids. It too uses its claws as its primary weapon, with greater effectivness due to their size and weight. The Shock Trooper, like the Armored Scout, adds a pair of plasma cannon over the shoulders, though where the Scout's cannon are simple bolt-on pieces, the Shock Trooper's weapons are large and in separate housings capable of vertical motion. The primary weak point, like the scout, is the sensor, "eye", although the troopers seem to know this and will block aimed shots with their large claws.
Pincer Command Unit: This is the largest of the Invid insectoid mecha, only seen in the second half of the series. it is about 22 feet tall, mounting large heat cannon over the shoulders and smaller plasma cannon on either side of the "eye", and a mix of light blue and white. Its primary purpose is command of a large group of Invid troops, but it is seen as a frontline combat unit during the battle of Reflex Point. It gets its name from the grasping "fingers" it has on each arm. The heat cannon can fire either a convergent beam, capable of melting almost anthing, or twin beams for greater area destruction. Its primary weak point is also its "eye".
Hive Guard/Enforcer: This is the smallest and least common of the Invid mecha. Just slightly taller that a normal human, its primary purpose is guarding valuable locations and urban investigation where larger mecha is less than desirable. its only armament is a laser cannon mounted on the back of the wrists, and it is not known to be capable of flight. it comes in 2 color schemes: Dark greyish-blue and white for the hive guards, and a light greean and off-white for urban enforcers. They are not very well armored, and a single shot will usually kill them.
Royal Command Battloid: This is the largest of the Invid mecha, standing 26 feet tall (the same size as an Alpha) and piloted by an Invid in human form. In a departure from standard Invid weaponry, in addition to an arm mounted plasma cannon and head laser, the RCB mounts a missile pack on each shoulder blade. The RCB is heavily armored, but it's cockpit is covered by a clear canopy, and thus is it's major weak point. The RCB is roughly equivalent to an Alpha fighter, both in purpose and capability.
The only difference between the Robotech version of the Invid mecha and the original Japanese mecha is their name. The Scout was called the Iigaa, the Armored Scout was called the Iigau, the Trooper and Shock Trooper was called the Gurab, the Pincer was called the Gamo, the Hive guard was called the Malar, and the RCB was called the Gosu.
6.5: ROBOTECH SENTINELS MECHA |
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The new REF destroids are the next generation of non-transformable Earth mecha, redesigned based on advances made in Robotechnology and mecha systems in the years following the first Robotech war. Like the Alpha Fighters, the REF destroids have been reduced in size by 30%, while increasing the amount of armor and firepower contained by each model. One common modification was that all REF destroids were equipped with some form of hands and arms, to allow them to grab objects as well as engage in handto -hand combat.
Excalibur MK VII
An upgraded version of the old RDF Excalibur/Tomahawk. Major changes include the replacement of the dual particle cannons with a single more compact particle cannon on the left arm; the right arm cannon is replaced with a Gladiator-style arm and hand for grasping and HTH combat. The gun clusters are replaced with a triple laser system on the cockpit, and the single over-the-shoulder missile launcher is replaced with two smaller units. The shoulder missiles of the older unit are kept in the newer one.
Gladiator MK III
An upgraded version of the old RDF Gladiator/Spartan. The Gladiator is one of the most changed destroids in the REF version. The shoulder missile pods are replaced with high-powered laser cannons, and the nose gun cluster is replaced with a dual laser turret and missile launcher. In addition the legs were redesigned to provide the mecha with better climing abilities, and missile launchers were added to the legs.
M.A.C. III
An upgraded version of the old RDF Mac II/Monster. The new Mac II is lighter and faster, with a greater variety of weaponry. The arm missile launchers were replaced with individual particle cannons, and three artillery cannons are mounted on top of the mecha instead of four. A missile launcher was added to the center of the main body, and two detachable plasma bombs are mounted on the sides of the mecha. The Mac III is one of the only REF Destroids without hands.
Raidar X Mark XI
An upgraded version of the old RDF Raidar X/Defender anti-aircraft destroid. The dual autocannons on each arm are replaced with tri-barrel rapid-fire laser cannons, and the radar dish on top of the mecha is now mounted in the chest for better protection. Two over-the-shoulder missile launchers have been added, as well as a chest laser for antipersonnel weaponry. The Raidar X is one of the only REF Destroids without hands.
Spartan Mk XII
An upgraded version of the old RDF Spartan/Phalanx heavy assault destroid. The new version retains the drum-shaped arm missile launchers, but also adds a third missile launcher in the chest of the mecha. Two concealed arms with hands are also mounted on the arms of the mecha, to enable it to grasp objects and engage in (limited) HTH combat.
No. The REF Destroids are 100% American mecha designs and do not appear in ANY Japanese mecha series. They only appear in the Sentinels RPG and the Sentinels comic books.
Unlike the Invid Regis, who was concerned more with the advancement of the Invid race, the Invid Regent only wanted newer and better ways to kill and destroy. He developed the Invid Inorganics as a new line of Invid Mecha with the sole purpose of hunting down and destroying humanoids, Zentraedi and Tirolians in particular. The Invid Inorganics are not piloted mecha; instead, they are non-living robots with simplistic artifical intelligences. The Inorganics are constructed from an alchemy-like process, similar to how golems were built in legend. When an Inorganic is "killed", it crumbles to dust. Invid Organics are mostly incapable of independent operations; they are usually controlled by an Invid Brain hidden in a guarded hive. If the brain is destroyed, then the Inorganics will freeze in their tracks. Inorganics are usually used for reconnaissance, ocupation, and extermination by the Regent and his forces. All Inorganics have a bulbulous shape to them, and look almost insect-like in nature.
Invid Cougar
The cougar resembles a prehistoric sabertooth tiger. It is primarily used for hunting and stalking prey, as well as reconnaissance. It has no weapons, but possesses sharp claws to tear into mecha armor (and mecha pilots). During combat several cougars will work together to overpower a foe and literally "dig" the pilot out of his mecha.
Invid Odeon
The most common invid Inorganic design. The Odeon is the "grunt" of the Regent's military forces, with a huge barrel chest and long powerful arms. The Odeon is a lumbering juggernaut that relies on thick armor rather than speed to approach its foe. The Odeon is also not equipped with weapons, but sometimes carries an energy weapon in its hand.
Invid Scrimm
The Scrimm is designed specifically for killing humanoids. Although smaller than the Odeon, it has three powerful arms and two whip-like arms ending in spiked claws that can be used to impale mecha or people. The Scrimm is faster than the Odeon, and is equipped with two globes on its back that can produce a deadly nerve gas that will quickly kill most humanoids. The Scrimm does not have any other weapons.
Invid Crann
The Crann is designed especially for reconnaissance instead of killing humanoids. The basic shape of the inorganic is humanoid, with two long arms and a beak-like appendage under the central eye. The Crann is the only inorganic besides the Scrimm with internal armaments; the beak contains an energy tongue that can be used as a whip, and a laser cannon is mounted on the top of the mecha. The two arms of the Crann can detach and function and independent reconnaissance units (they somewhat resemble "face-huggers" from the movie "Aliens").
No. The Invid Inorganics are 100% American mecha designs and do not appear in ANY Japanese mecha series. They only appear in the Sentinels video, the Sentinels RPG, and the Sentinels comic books.
