Mecha Galaxy Technical Manual

Aspis

Ferrite:	16000
Bioptics:	13500
Niodes:	135

It wasn't long before clan Cyberstorm caught word of new Mechs being found on Yomi. They moved in several teams of scouts to slog their way across the sands of Yomi and determine whether or not the Ignis was the only bit of advanced technology left behind on the planet.

Determined to harness the power abandoned here by some bygone civilization, Captain Arnold Bennington led a team into the old mine, a labyrinth of dead-end tunnels that took weeks to fully explore.

Statistical Readout
Tonnage	90
Armor Points	250
Start Weapons	13
Min Level	77
Min Heavy Skill	45
Levels/Weapon	4
Manufacturer	Alpha Corporation

Bonuses
Build	Trample Shield 10%
Build	Speed - 30
Level 2	+ 1 Engine Slot
Level 3	+ 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 4	+ 1 Weapon Slot
Level 4	+ 1 Chassis Slot
Level 4	Trample 6%
Level 5	+ 1 Shield Slot
Level 6	Precision (6)
Level 6	+ 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 7	Splash Shield 20%
Level 8	Speed + 5
Level 8 + every 4 levels	+ 1 Weapon Slot
Level 9	+ 1 Shield Slot
Level 10	3X Damage 10%
Level 11	Trample Shield 9%
Level 13	Crit-Kill 2%
Level 14	+ 1 Chassis Slot
Level 14	Speed + 5
Level 15	+ 1 Shield Slot
Level 17	Trample 6%
Level 18	+ 1 Engine Slot
Level 19	+ 1 Chassis Slot
Level 21	Trample Shield 9%
Level 22	+ 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 23	+ 1 Engine Slot
Level 25	+ 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 25	Speed + 4
Level 26	Precision (6)
Level 27	+ 1 Shield Slot
Level 30	2X Damage 10%
Level 31	Trample Shield 9%
Level 33	Crit-Kill 2%
Level 34	Splash Shield 10%
Level 35	+ 1 Engine Slot
Level 37	Speed + 4
Level 39	+ 1 Chassis Slot
Level 41	Trample Shield 9%
Level 43	+ 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 46	Speed + 4
Level 47	+ 1 Shield Slot
Level 50	Fork 15%
Level 50	Fork Shield 25%
Level 50	Wide Fork Shield 50%
Level 51	Trample Shield 9%
Level 58	3X Damage 8%
Level 61	Crit-Kill 2%
Level 66	Trample Shield 11%
Level 70	2X Damage 8%
Level 71	+ 1 Chassis Slot
Level 77	Trample Shield 11%
Level 89	Trample Shield 5%
Level 91	+ 1 Shield Slot
Level 105	Trample Shield 6%
Level 110	Auto Repair (4)
Level 115	+ 1 Engine Slot
Level 140	Fork 10%
Level 145	Trample 3%
Level 157	Precision (3)
Level 167	Splash Shield 5%
Level 178	Speed + 2
Level 184	3X Damage 5%
Level 189	Trample Shield 4%
Level 194	Crit-Kill 2%
Level 198	Speed + 2
Level 202	Trample 3%
Level 211	Trample Shield 4%
Level 226	Speed + 2
Level 231	Precision (3)
Level 236	2X Damage 5%
Level 250	+ 1 Cockpit Slot
Level 281	Trample Shield 4%
Level 289	Crit-Kill 2%
Level 293	Splash Shield 5%
Level 299	Speed + 2
Level 300	+ 1 Chassis Slot
Level 307	Trample Shield 4%
Level 314	Speed + 2
Level 329	Wide Fork Shield 5%
Level 332	Fork 5%
Level 337	Fork Shield 5%
Level 343	Trample Shield 4%
Level 350	+ 1 Shield Slot
Level 351	3X Damage 4%
Level 360	Crit-Kill 2%
Level 370	Trample Shield 5%
Level 376	2X Damage 4%
Level 380	Trample Shield 5%
Level 389	Trample Shield 2%
Level 400	+ 1 Engine Slot
Level 400	Trample Shield 3%

Deep inside the mine, Bennington discovered a slip between two layers of shale that provided just space enough for a man to wriggle through. He did just that, and as he emerged on the other side, he looked upon a vast natural cavern, dominated by the quite unnatural device that lay before him.

It was a Gateway, of sorts. Though it did not bear the usual markings he had seen on other Gateways, there was no doubt that its structure was quite similarï¿½the triangular platform, the niode matrix receptors. In appearance it seemed quite similar to any of the other Gateways Bennington had encountered. The most significant difference was that this one seemed to be shut off. As far as he knew, there was no way to shut off a Gateway. Perhaps, he thought, this one never functioned at all.

It was a question he would have to ponder later, as there was much more to be found in the forgotten cavern. His eyes began to adjust to the dim light, and it was then that he saw them: the unmistakable outlines of machinery, the long shafts of cannons. A squadron of Mecha loomed before him, forming defensive ranks at the cavernï¿½s perimeter. In the dark, he couldnï¿½t quite make out their shapes, but he could see the three sharp horns protruding from their enormous heads. Even with the beasts shut down, the sight of their imposing figures sent a chill down his spine.

It took months to extract the Mecha from the cavern, and longer still to determine what they could do. When researchers finally enabled the Mechaï¿½s shielding controls, they discovered that its creator had solved a problem they themselves had been struggling with for some time. It seemed that the Aspis, as the Mecha was later named, provided the solution to a dilemma plaguing clans in the Mecha Galaxy for some time.

It was well known that some weaponry was powerful enough to penetrate Mecha defenses beyond a single rank of attackers and inflict damage to those beyond. As such weaponry proliferated throughout the Mecha Galaxy, it had been employed to devastating effect, with the limitations of Gateways making its use particularly effective in dismantling opponents before they could even enter the fray. For decades, engineers had sought a way to shield against such attacks, but the technology was beyond their understanding and the answer eluded them. The Aspis turned out to contain the answer they sought.

The saw-toothed frill on the Mechaï¿½s head projected a dense matrix of energetic shielding that prevented attacks from penetrating beyond its ranks. The research team ran test after test to determine how much damage the shielding could withstand. When they submitted their initial findings to Command, they were instructed to proceed immediately to the production phase.

The primary weapon system of the Aspis made use of the three facial horns, which synthesized three energetic blasts into a single point before lazing their target. In many tests, this triple beam obliterated targets with one shot.

The Aspis models they produced maintained their creatorï¿½s original design and obvious preoccupation with the dinosaurs of Earthï¿½s past. Its inspiration was, of course, Triceratops horridus, the three-horned lizard. The final design would be as terrifying to young Mecha pilots as its predecessor must have been when the Earth was young.

Bennington continued his investigation of the lost Gateway inside the cavern, though Command told him to forget it. His superiors were interested only in that which could bring them power and victory.

Bennington, however, felt that there was more to this scene frozen in time. He knew that there must have been a reason these Mecha were left here. There was a story yet untold. He was certain that at the heart of that story was the creator of these Mecha, someone who understood more about Gateway technology than perhaps anyone ever had. Bennington wanted to find out what happened to this man, if it was indeed a man at all.

As Bennington returned to the cavern to inspect the disabled Gateway, another question plagued him. The squadron of Aspis he found were in defensive position. Aspis itself means ï¿½shieldï¿½ï¿½these Mecha were designed to protect something else. What were they defending, and where had it gone?

It wasnï¿½t until the Gateway switched back on that he got his answer.

Legendary Pilots

Wotan Merilainen

Having taken the Norse-Germanic god of war as his nom-de-guerre, Wotan seeks victory through overwhelming strength. In the first few weeks after the pivotal Battle of Yomi Reefs, Wotan acquired one of Drochah's original Aspis dino-mechs, which suited his style well. He commemorated the battle by naming this Mech "Yomi", and it has brought him many defensive wins -- a rarity against experienced pilots -- along with top marks in Clan Wars and "King of the Mountain" events.
Michael Ward

Thanks to niode technology, lasers have replaced firearms as the standard-issue weapon system, and Commander Ward knows how to exploit them to the fullest. A withering hail of rapid-fire beams won him his first "King of the Mountain" tournament, courtesy of an Oggun squadron. But these days he takes to the Aspis. Its tremendous power allows his pilots to plow through heavy Mech formations with ease.

Armament

Aspis comes fully equiped with:

105

99 Sikuliaq

ELITE

Freeze 35%

Slow (6)

Code named Sikuliaq, an Old Inuit word for ice that covers after the hardest freeze.

80

98 Tri-Slagger

ELITE

Crit-Kill 10%

3X Damage 10%

Triple beams synthesized into a single point before lazing the opponent with a compound beam of brutal damage.

80

98 Tri-Slagger

ELITE

Crit-Kill 10%

3X Damage 10%

Triple beams synthesized into a single point before lazing the opponent with a compound beam of brutal damage.

80

98 Tri-Slagger

ELITE

Crit-Kill 10%

3X Damage 10%

Triple beams synthesized into a single point before lazing the opponent with a compound beam of brutal damage.

63

104 H. Blast Plate

COMMON

Trample 5%

Originally intended only for surface bunkers, these hard hitting guns spray a wall of bullets from multiple barrels.

63

104 H. Blast Plate

COMMON

Trample 5%

Originally intended only for surface bunkers, these hard hitting guns spray a wall of bullets from multiple barrels.

51

104 Ol' Willie Pete

COMMON

Burn 7%

White Phosphorous, but better. More reactive, with a thicker layer of smoke both obscures vision and wreaks havoc on the enemy.

48

98 Death Head

COMMON

Splash 4%

Lesser forces have been known to quickly retreat at the mere sight of this terrifying weapon.

39

106 Rail Cannon