Gladiator Destroid write-up (no stats)

[Pouncer]

GLADIATOR DESTROID

MBR-07P-Mk.III
Gladiator

With the introduction of project Pioneer during Earth’s rebuilding after the Zentradi uprisings entirely new mecha designs were obviously needed to carry out the needs of the Expeditionary Force. For the needs of the ground forces designers returned to the proven and well known destroids for their inspirations. Two separate projects were put into play competing for the new destroid designs, Project Neo Excalibur and Project Colossus. While the Colossus team sought to place as much firepower as possible into their designs Project Neo Excalibur worked along the same lines that were being worked with on the new veritech fighters, smaller more flexible designs better suited to storage and use on and from spacecraft.

Having completed their work on the MBRWS designs the Neo Excalibur team turned it’s attention to the Spartan. The Spartan’s record as an “urban defense” unit and it’s capabilities at Close Quarter Battle (CQB) were big plusses on its side when the team looked at upgrades. Its fully functional hands and ability to use hand held weapons, both melee and ranged, also earned it high marks. However its integrated weaponry, with the exception of its missile launchers, had proven under whelming when compared to the other destroids and Zentradi mecha.

Choosing to take what the original had done best, close quarter battle, and radically improve the mecha’s integrated armament the mecha was aptly named the Gladiator. The team set out to make the Gladiator right at home on any battlefield, urban or otherwise, with its cousin, the Excalibur.

The process began by making the mecha 30% smaller than the Spartan and installing and upgraded motive system to increase the unit’s ground speed. Those worried that the reduction in size would reduce the mecha’s melee ability were quickly reassured when the improvements made in the myomer muscles and “contact surfaces” gave the unit a nearly identical damage profile. The latest in armor plate increased the Gladiator’s protection to be on par with the Excalibur.

With the frame and armor set the team moved to the weapon systems, starting with the missile launchers. Wanting to add heavier weapons to the torso the short range missiles were moved to two pair of Alpha style, 4 tube surface launchers mounted two to a leg. Although this reduced the overall number of missiles carried the newer weapons were expected to make up for it.

With space now open in the shoulder pods a pair of heavy laser cannons were installed. With excellent range and hitting power the new cannons would provide a much needed boost to the mecha. (Editor’s note: Updated versions of these weapons would become the retractable laser cannons mounted on the Bioroid Interceptor.)

Replacing the center mounted TZ weapon cluster from the Spartan was a multi tube mini-missile launch system, which radically improved the Gladiator’s short range capabilities.

To round out the integral weapons array the old top mounted light laser turret was replaced by a heavier dual pulse laser system mounted just below the mini-missile launcher.

Still mounting working hands the Gladiator is compatible with the latest weapon pods, including the EU-12 and the EU-13 which are standard issue when heavy combat is expected.

With their highly advanced ergonomic controls the Gladiator only needs a single pilot, though there is room for a co-pilot or tactical officer in case extra support is needed.

Gladiators operate in armored cavalry squadrons of 4 units sometimes called lances. Gladiator only lances excel at urban defense/assault and lances mixed with Excaliburs and/or Battleaxes make excellent open field combat teams with the Gladiators protecting the Excaliburs from close attacks. Gladiator lances also protect fire support lances from attack. When the Cyclones and Silverbacks were introduced Gladiator pilots quickly adapted to working closely with the new armored infantry, especially against the Invid.

[Lt Gargoyle]

are you doing this for a pioneer game your working on?

[jaymz]

Nice write-up/rewrite of the old REF Gladiator

[Pouncer]

are you doing this for a pioneer game your working on?

Yes, it's a long term project of mine. Unfortunately getting a group together to play has been a bit rough lately. RL takes its toll.

-POUNCER

[Pouncer]

Nice write-up/rewrite of the old REF Gladiator

Thanks.

-POUNCER

[Alrik Vas]

I love it when ground mecha get to shine.

[Pouncer]

This is pretty sharp chief.

I recall that when we were playing Invasion, and using Destroids, we had two variants of this mecha in play. The first was stock, so it has those abysmal lasers (3D6...really?!)

The second was a home rules version that swapped out the lasers for a pair of rapid firing reconciles cannons. Like 16 per minute rate of fire, 32 paired, half again the range, and comparable hitting power to AP or Frag mini missiles, and only 40 rounds per ammo bay (Picture something like 75mm or so in size, so pretty smallish.) I had a character that picked up a pair of Logan gunpods, sat on top of a hill when we go assaulted, and I ended up parrying and simultaneous striking something like 25 Invid throughout the battle.

The GM decided I burnt out my gunpods power cells from overuse (Jerk!), and I nearly ran myself out of armor, ammo, and adrenaline, but it was totally freaking worth it to gut the majority of the GMs assault force and keep the rest of our mecha intact. (We started out with a VHT with main gun damage, and the GM tried to have Scouts finish that part off, an Alpha with less then a third of its missiles and no spare GU-13 mags that more or less ran out of firepower near the end of the fight, and a pair of 1st edition TC Recon Battloids with scads of armor damage and VHT gunpods that hid out behind my Gladiator and sniped where they could. We were totally pimped out compared to most games we played!

So needless to say, lack of mobility compared to an Alpha of not, I totally fell in love with this mecha right then and there!

I never understood how such big lasers could suck as much as the First Ed. version. Once I saw the lasers on the B. Interceptor I knew they had to go to the Gladiator.

Wow, that GM was in a bad mood or something.

-POUNCER

[Pouncer]

I love it when ground mecha get to shine.

Me too.

-POUNCER