> PLAGUE EXTERMINATION. [### OFFICIAL - MOCA/MARTIAN ORBITAL CLOSURE AUTHORITY###]/[GCC INT]. "A PAIR OF PLAGUE CONTAMINATED TERRAIN PROCESSOR UNIT ARE APPROACHING a GCC ARCOLOGY. PRIORITY PAYMENT. [450 MU], PRIMARY TARGET SALVAGE FORBIDDEN."
>WHITE/RED

After some careful consideration, you accept the plague extermination mission. The pay was quite generous for a MOCA contract and for good reason: You had hazy childhood memories of seeing groups of two or three terrain processor units migrating along the outskirts of the cavern cities - as slow and implacable as the red planet's long-dead glaciers. The sheer amount of mass and plating that each processing unit carried would be a potent defense against attack, and you suspect that plague infestation would have eagerly co-opted much of their internal machinery for defensive purposes. Destroying two of them before they could breach an inhabited arcology would be risky, difficult work - but also the precise kind that you and most of your mercenaries had signed up for so many years ago.

Your company had precisely twenty four hours to prepare. You move through the station's transit umbilical into your transport, where your engineering teams were sprawled across the mech bay to prepare your frames for ground deployment. Automated manipulators install pieces of plating still red-hot from nanoscale fabrication. Weapons, bereft of ammunition, hang from overhead gantry bays as technicians calibrate power lines and ammunition feeds to fit different frames. It was frantic - certainly - but like your pilots, the crews had been pressure-tested over the past few months. You quickly thumb through a summary of each pilot's loadout:

--- V A N G U A R D | A S S E M B L Y ---

/CORE:

>CORE/L/LANCER-MOD1. [ LOAD LIMIT: 6 | HP: 1 | MOVE: 3 (+1) | ++ EVASIVE ]
An outdated but reliable vanguard model with respectable speed and modest load capacity, produced en-masse by the Martian armed forces. This model has received extensive modernization upgrades.

>CORE/L/DUELIST. [ LOAD LIMIT: 3 | ARM SLOTS ONLY | HP: 1 | MOVE: 2 (+1) | INBUILT RADAR + 1 HIT | INBUILT SHIELD NO CRIPPLE PENALTY | HIT TWICE WITH MELEE WEAPON]
A second generation vanguard model optimized for melee performance. Aggressive weight reduction choices render it incompatible with standard modular shoulder/back weapons, compromising flexibility.

>CORE/M/ROOK. [ LOAD LIMIT: 7 | HP: 2 | MOVE: 1 (+1)]
An oudated but reliable vanguard model with high load and passable armor, produced en-masse by the Martian armed forces.

>CORE/M/HUNTER. [ LOAD LIMIT: 6 | HP: 2 | + HIT | MOVE: 1 (+1)]
A second generation vanguard model popular among mercenaries and corporate line units. Flexible, but does not excel in any specific area.

>CORE/H/ERRANT. [ LOAD LIMIT: 8 | HP: 3 | + BASE DMG | MOVE: 1 (+1) | -- EVASION ]
A transitional vanguard model based on the DUELIST frame. Performance characteristics have been tuned for aggressive mid-ranged combat.

File: SAMPLE1.png (3.91 MB, 2000x2000)

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/ARM R/L:

> HANDGUN//TN-HAN. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/LIGHT]

> HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]

> RIFLE//EXTEN-R. [LOAD: 1 | +1 DMG/ALL]

> RIFLE//ESSEN. [LOAD: 2 | +2 DMG/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY | -1 EVASION]

> MACHINEGUN//MINIEX. [LOAD: 1 | +2 DMG/LIGHT]

> SHOTGUN//HALD. [LOAD: 1 | +1 DMG/ALL | +1 HIT/LIGHT | -1 EVASION]

> SNIPER RIFLE//FURY. [LOAD: 3 | +1 DMG/ALL | +2 HIT/ALL | -1 EVASION | BONUS DMG EQUAL TO HIT ROLL MINUS TARGET DC. CAN TARGET ENEMIES IN ADJACENT NODES WITH -3 HIT PENALTY.] [L-ARM ONLY]

> LASER RIFLE//AXIS. [LOAD: 3 | +9 DMG/ALL | -1 EVASION | 1 TURN RECHARGE]

> ARC RIFLE//PERUN. [LOAD: 2 | +2 DMG/ALL | ALWAYS MULTIHIT CLOSEST ENEMY IN NODE]

> IRRADIATOR/FULGENT. [LOAD: 2 | +1 DMG/ALL | EACH HIT INFLICTS PERMANENT 4 DMG/TURN. KILLS INFANTRY INSTANTLY.]

> PULSE BLADE//PULSAR. [LOAD: 2 | +4 DMG/ALL | -1 HIT/ALL ] [R-ARM ONLY]

> PULSE LANCE//SUNSLAG. [LOAD: 3 | +2 DMG/ALL | -1 HIT/ALL | +3 DMG/ALL FOR EVERY NODE MOVED BEFORE ATTACKING THIS TURN ] [R-ARM ONLY]

> PILE DRIVER//ISHMAEL. [LOAD: 2 | + DMG/ALL | +7 DMG/HEAVY | -2 HIT/ALL ] [R-ARM ONLY]

> WEAPON SET//DAYBREAK
> THERMAL BLADE-R. [LOAD: 2 | +2 DMG/ALL | -1 HIT/ALL | +1 DMG PER ATTACK THIS CONTRACT, UP TO +5 CUMULATIVE]
> PARRY SHIELD-L. [LOAD: 1 | +1 SHIELD | 3 TURN RECHARGE | GAIN +4 HIT ON NEXT COMBAT ROLL AFTER SUSTAINING DAMAGE]

File: SAMPLE2.png (4.25 MB, 2000x2000)

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/BACK R/L:

> MISSILE//2-CELL [LOAD: 1 | +1 DMG/ALL].

> MISSILE//6-CELL-MICRO [LOAD: 2 | +1 DMG/ALL | +2 DMG/LIGHT]

> CRUISE MISSILE//YELLOWSTONE [LOAD: 2 | 2 USES | ON USE, INFLICT 3 GUARANTEED DMG AGAINST TARGET IN CURRENT OR ADJACENT NODE.]

> RADAR//SEEKER [LOAD: 1 | +1 SCOUTING | +1 HIT/ALL] [R-BACK ONLY]

> RADAR//TRACER [LOAD: 2 | +3 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]

> RADAR//OCULUS [LOAD: 3 | +3 SCOUTING | +2 HIT/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]

> TARGET DESIGNATOR//TATTLE [LOAD: 1 | ON HIT, REDUCE TARGET DC BY 1 FOR ALL PILOTS] [R-BACK ONLY].

> SHIELD//HI0-SHELL [LOAD: 2 | +1 SHIELD | 2 TURN RECHARGE] [L-BACK ONLY]

> CANNON//DRIVER [LOAD: 3 | +3 DMG/ALL]

> ROTARY CANNON//PITONE [LOAD: 4 | +4 DMG/ALL | -1 EVASIVE | REROLL HIT DICE ON EVEN HIT ROLLS. EVERY EVEN ROLL DEALS +3 ADDITIONAL DAMAGE.]

> GRENADE LAUNCHER//RAIDEN [LOAD: 3 | +3 DMG/ALL | -1 HIT/ALL | ON HIT, [MULTIHIT] UP TO 2 ADJACENT UNITS ON HIGHEST DICE ROLL.]

> IRRADIATOR/ARDENT. [LOAD: 3 | +1 DMG/ALL | EACH HIT INFLICTS PERMANENT 8 DMG/TURN. KILLS INFANTRY INSTANTLY.]

> PLASMA//ARSENIC [LOAD: 2 | + DMG/HEAVY | ON HIT, ADD [LIGHT] TO TARGET FOR 2 TURNS.]

> FLARE//FLARES [LOAD: 1 | SINGLE USE | ON USE, GAIN +5 EVASIVE AND +5 HIT FOR 1 TURN.]

File: SAMPLE3.png (4.16 MB, 2000x2000)

4.16 MB PNG

/FCS:

> FCS/BML-CL [ 2D4 | ++ HIT/HEAVY ]

> FCS/BML-LR [ 1D6 | ++++ HIT/LIGHT ]

> FCS/SHINKAI. [3D2 + 1 | NO MELEE HIT PENALTY]

> FCS/MULTI. [1D5 | +++++ HEAVY | ROLLING 4 OR 5 ON 1D5 ACTIVATES MULTIHIT.]

> FCS/HIGHROLL. [1D12]


/COLOR:

> FACTORY DEFAULT [WHITE/TEAL/BLUE]

> DUSTWALKER STANDARD [RUST/DARKGREY/GREEN]

> DUSTWALKER ASSAULT [WHITE/SCARLET/CYAN]

/CALLSIGN

>ENTER

File: SAMPLE4.png (3.94 MB, 2000x2000)

3.94 MB PNG

---- WEAPON UPGRADE LOG ---

>FLARES. Hit bonus increased by 1.
>PULSAR. 1 DMG/LIGHT converted to DMG/ALL
>SHIELD. Recharge decreased by 1 turn.
>DRIVER. Evasion penatly removed.
>RAIDEN. Evasion penalty removed.
>PITONE. Evasion penalty reduced. Base damage increased by 1. Allow rerolls.

File: gamcyc.png (588 KB, 800x600)

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>>6396796
"Heeeere's GAMBLER."

>CORE/M/ROOK. [ LOAD LIMIT: 7 | HP: 2 | MOVE: 1 (+1)]
> MACHINEGUN//MINIEX. [LOAD: 1 | +2 DMG/LIGHT]
> IRRADIATOR/FULGENT. [LOAD: 2 | +1 DMG/ALL | EACH HIT INFLICTS PERMANENT 4 DMG/TURN. KILLS INFANTRY INSTANTLY.]
> PLASMA//ARSENIC [LOAD: 2 | + DMG/HEAVY | ON HIT, ADD [LIGHT] TO TARGET FOR 2 TURNS.]
> MISSILE//6-CELL-MICRO [LOAD: 2 | +1 DMG/ALL | +2 DMG/LIGHT]
> FCS/HIGHROLL. [1D12]
> DUSTWALKER ASSAULT [WHITE/SCARLET/CYAN]

>CALLSIGN: GAMBLER

File: FAMINEINTHESTEEL.png (102 KB, 144x505)

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>>6396796
>CORE/H/ERRANT. [ LOAD LIMIT: 8 | HP: 3 | + BASE DMG | MOVE: 1 (+1) | -- EVASION ]
LEFT ARM
>HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]
RIGHT ARM
>RIFLE//ESSEN. [LOAD: 2 | +2 DMG/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY | -1 EVASION]
RIGHT BACK
>RADAR//TRACER [LOAD: 2 | +3 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]
LEFT BACK
>ROTARY CANNON//PITONE [LOAD: 4 | +4 DMG/ALL | -1 EVASIVE | REROLL HIT DICE ON EVEN HIT ROLLS. EVERY EVEN ROLL DEALS +3 ADDITIONAL DAMAGE.]
FCS
>FCS/BML-CL [ 2D4 | ++ HIT/HEAVY ]
COLOR
>DUSTWALKER ASSAULT [WHITE/SCARLET/CYAN]
CALLSIGN
>FAMINE

"BIGGER IS...BETTER...NEED TO KILL **PLAGUE**, AND TO **KILL** IT **FAST**"
"I AM HERE TO CUT THE *GRISTLE*. TO GET TO THE DELICIOUS MEAT INSIDE."
"...ALSO, I THINK MY MECH LOOKS CUTE LIKE THIS. SHUT UP."

>>6396783
/CORE:
>>CORE/M/HUNTER. [ LOAD LIMIT: 6 | HP: 2 | + HIT | MOVE: 1 (+1)]
/ARM R:
> HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]
/ARM L:
> HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]
/BACK R:
> CANNON//DRIVER [LOAD: 3 | +3 DMG/ALL]
/BACK L:
> CANNON//DRIVER [LOAD: 3 | +3 DMG/ALL]

"An' now it's time fer the big ones. This one's been a long time comin'."

>>6396792
/FCS:
> FCS/HIGHROLL. [1D12]
/COLOR:
> DUSTWALKER STANDARD [RUST/DARKGREY/GREEN]
/CALLSIGN
GORGON

File: Corvid.png (489 KB, 800x600)

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>>6396792

Credit to Gambler and their amazing skills.

>CORE/H/ERRANT. [ LOAD LIMIT: 8 | HP: 3 | + BASE DMG | MOVE: 1 (+1) | -- EVASION ]


> RIFLE//ESSEN. [LOAD: 2 | +2 DMG/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY | -1 EVASION]

> PILE DRIVER//ISHMAEL. [LOAD: 2 | + DMG/ALL | +7 DMG/HEAVY | -2 HIT/ALL ] [R-ARM ONLY]

> RADAR//OCULUS [LOAD: 3 | +3 SCOUTING | +2 HIT/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]

> FLARE//FLARES [LOAD: 1 | SINGLE USE | ON USE, GAIN +5 EVASIVE AND +5 HIT FOR 1 TURN.]

> FCS/HIGHROLL. [1D12]

> DUSTWALKER ASSAULT [WHITE/SCARLET/CYAN]

Corvid, prepped for hot drop. Keep my old ride in cold storage, still want to upgrade it later...

>>6396824


Callsign: Corvid

Blegh, knew I forgot something... Well, time to get this new thread rolling.

>>6396783
>CORE/L/LANCER-MOD1. [ LOAD LIMIT: 6 | HP: 1 | MOVE: 3 (+1) | ++ EVASIVE ]

ARMS:
> SNIPER RIFLE//FURY. [LOAD: 3 | +1 DMG/ALL | +2 HIT/ALL | -1 EVASION | BONUS DMG EQUAL TO HIT ROLL MINUS TARGET DC. CAN TARGET ENEMIES IN ADJACENT NODES WITH -3 HIT PENALTY.] [L-ARM ONLY]

> HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]

BACK:
> CRUISE MISSILE//YELLOWSTONE [LOAD: 2 | 2 USES | ON USE, INFLICT 3 GUARANTEED DMG AGAINST TARGET IN CURRENT OR ADJACENT NODE.]

> TARGET DESIGNATOR//TATTLE [LOAD: 1 | ON HIT, REDUCE TARGET DC BY 1 FOR ALL PILOTS] [R-BACK ONLY].

FCS:
> FCS/BML-LR [ 1D6 | ++++ HIT/LIGHT ]

COLOR:
> DUSTWALKER STANDARD [RUST/DARKGREY/GREEN]

CALLSIGN:
>PILLOW

>>6396837
(I think picking HANDGUN//TN-HAN would be better for your build, if you're going with BML-LR.)
(Your choice, though)

File: INHUMAN portrait.png (826 KB, 832x723)

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CORE
>CORE/M/HUNTER. [ LOAD LIMIT: 6 | HP: 2 | + HIT | MOVE: 1 (+1)]

"I MOLT MY SHELL AFRESH AND REVIVE IN NEW FORM, BUT MY GOUT SHALL CONTINUE IN ME. ALL THINGS I FEEL AND PERCEIVE AND LEARN WILL BE MINE OWN FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS."

ARM
>SNIPER RIFLE//FURY. [LOAD: 3 | +1 DMG/ALL | +2 HIT/ALL | -1 EVASION | BONUS DMG EQUAL TO HIT ROLL MINUS TARGET DC. CAN TARGET ENEMIES IN ADJACENT NODES WITH -3 HIT PENALTY.] [L-ARM ONLY]
>LASER RIFLE//AXIS. [LOAD: 3 | +9 DMG/ALL | -1 EVASION | 1 TURN RECHARGE]

BACK
>N/A

FCS
>FCS/HIGHROLL [1D12]

COLOR
>DUSTWALKER ASSAULT [WHITE/SCARLET/CYAN]

CALLSIGN
>KING KRAB

“Hither came a mercenary, megalithic, pale-skinned, gun in hand, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the dusty paths of Mars under his iron feet.”

>>6396847
yeah that would be more useful then the revolver so sure I'll switch.

>>6396837
replacing:
> HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]
with:
> HANDGUN//TN-HAN. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/LIGHT]

(we really need another evasive core that not constructed out of tape and cardboard)

>>6396783
>CORE/M/ROOK. [ LOAD LIMIT: 7 | HP: 2 | MOVE: 1 (+1)]
>RIFLE//ESSEN. [LOAD: 2 | +2 DMG/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY | -1 EVASION]
>RIFLE//ESSEN. [LOAD: 2 | +2 DMG/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY | -1 EVASION]
>TARGET DESIGNATOR//TATTLE [LOAD: 1 | ON HIT, REDUCE TARGET DC BY 1 FOR ALL PILOTS] [R-BACK ONLY].
>SHIELD//HI0-SHELL [LOAD: 2 | +1 SHIELD | 2 TURN RECHARGE] [L-BACK ONLY]
>FCS/BML-CL [ 2D4 | ++ HIT/HEAVY ]
>DUSTWALKER STANDARD [RUST/DARKGREY/GREEN]
>CALLSIGN: SCARAB

"Confirm previous core and loadout. Scarab ready."

File: Untitled_Artwork 1.png (2.85 MB, 1607x3780)

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>>6396796
"Doin' introductions again, huh? Thought I'd take the chance to show off the scars whiley jacket's in the wash..."

//LOADOUT
>CORE/H/ERRANT. [ LOAD LIMIT: 8 | HP: 3 | + BASE DMG | MOVE: 1 (+1) | -- EVASION ]
> RIFLE//EXTEN-R. [LOAD: 1 | +1 DMG/ALL]
> SNIPER RIFLE//FURY. [LOAD: 3 | +1 DMG/ALL | +2 HIT/ALL | -1 EVASION | BONUS DMG EQUAL TO HIT ROLL MINUS TARGET DC. CAN TARGET ENEMIES IN ADJACENT NODES WITH -3 HIT PENALTY.] [L-ARM ONLY]
> RADAR//OCULUS [LOAD: 3 | +3 SCOUTING | +2 HIT/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]
> FLARE//FLARES [LOAD: 1 | SINGLE USE | ON USE, GAIN +5 EVASIVE AND +5 HIT FOR 1 TURN.]
> FCS/HIGHROLL. [1D12]
> DUSTWALKER ASSAULT [WHITE/SCARLET/CYAN]

"...And, of course–"

>CALLSIGN: CYCLOPS

>>6396783
"Time to upgrade my ride."

GASHADOKURO
>CORE: ERRANT (3 HP, +1 BASE DMG)
>ARM-L: IRRADIATOR/FULGENT (+1 DMG/ALL, PERMA 4 DMG/TURN ON HIT)
>ARM-R: ARC RIFLE/PERUN (+2 DMG/ALL, ALWAYS MULTIHIT CLOSEST ENEMY IN NODE)
>BACK-L: PLASMA/ARSENIC (+1 DMG/HEAVY, 2 TURNS +[LIGHT] ON HIT)
>BACK-R: RADAR/TRACER (+3 HIT/HEAVY)
>FCS: MULTI

>PAINTJOB: RED AND WHITE

CORE
>CORE/H/ERRANT. [ LOAD LIMIT: 8 | HP: 3 | + BASE DMG | MOVE: 1 (+1) | -- EVASION ]

ARM
> SNIPER RIFLE//FURY. [LOAD: 3 | +1 DMG/ALL | +2 HIT/ALL | -1 EVASION | BONUS DMG EQUAL TO HIT ROLL MINUS TARGET DC. CAN TARGET ENEMIES IN ADJACENT NODES WITH -3 HIT PENALTY.] [L-ARM ONLY]
> RIFLE//ESSEN. [LOAD: 2 | +2 DMG/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY | -1 EVASION]

BACK
> RADAR//TRACER [LOAD: 2 | +3 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]
> MISSILE//2-CELL [LOAD: 1 | +1 DMG/ALL].

FCS
> FCS/MULTI. [1D5 | +++++ HEAVY | ROLLING 4 OR 5 ON 1D5 ACTIVATES MULTIHIT.]

COLOR
>DUSTWALKER STANDARD [RUST/DARKGREY/GREEN]

CALLSIGN
>KANCHO

"I'll gladly take this baby out for a spin."

>>6396783
/CORE:
>CORE/L/DUELIST
/ARM R/L:
> R: PULSE LANCE//SUNSLAG. [LOAD: 3]
> L: HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 ]
/FCS:
> FCS/MULTI.
/COLOR:
> FACTORY DEFAULT [WHITE/TEAL/BLUE]
/CALLSIGN:
>HERMIT

>>6396796
/CORE
>CORE/H/ERRANT. [ LOAD LIMIT: 8 | HP: 3 | + BASE DMG | MOVE: 1 (+1) | -- EVASION ]
//ARM R
> LASER RIFLE//AXIS. [LOAD: 3 | +9 DMG/ALL | -1 EVASION | 1 TURN RECHARGE]
/ARM L
> HANDGUN//TN-HAN. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/LIGHT]
/BACK R
> RADAR//OCULUS [LOAD: 3 | +3 SCOUTING | +2 HIT/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]
/BACK L
> SHIELD//HI0-SHELL [LOAD: 2 | +1 SHIELD | 2 TURN RECHARGE] [L-BACK ONLY]
/FCS
> FCS/BML-LR [ 1D6 | ++++ HIT/LIGHT ]
/COLOR
> FACTORY DEFAULT [WHITE/TEAL/BLUE]
/CALLSIGN
> SAILOR

"Pleased to meet and, work with. You all. Will do my, best to keep up."

>>6396792
/CORE:
>CORE/L/LANCER-MOD1. [ LOAD LIMIT: 6 | HP: 1 | MOVE: 3 (+1) | ++ EVASIVE ]
/ARM R/L:
>\R: PULSE LANCE//SUNSLAG. [LOAD: 3 | +2 DMG/ALL | -1 HIT/ALL | +3 DMG/ALL FOR EVERY NODE MOVED BEFORE ATTACKING THIS TURN ] [R-ARM ONLY]
>\L: PARRY SHIELD-L. [LOAD: 1 | +1 SHIELD | 3 TURN RECHARGE | GAIN +4 HIT ON NEXT COMBAT ROLL AFTER SUSTAINING DAMAGE]
/BACK R/L:
>\R: RADAR//TRACER [LOAD: 2 | +3 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]
>\L: N/A
/FCS:
>\FCS/HIGHROLL. [1D12]
/COLOR:
>\DUSTWALKER ASSAULT [WHITE/SCARLET/CYAN]
/CALLSIGN:
>SWALLOW

OR if DAYBREAK must remain a set:

/CORE:
>CORE/L/LANCER-MOD1. [ LOAD LIMIT: 6 | HP: 1 | MOVE: 3 (+1) | ++ EVASIVE ]
/ARM R/L:
>\R: PULSE LANCE//SUNSLAG. [LOAD: 3 | +2 DMG/ALL | -1 HIT/ALL | +3 DMG/ALL FOR EVERY NODE MOVED BEFORE ATTACKING THIS TURN ] [R-ARM ONLY]
>\L: HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]
/BACK R/L:
>\R: RADAR//TRACER [LOAD: 2 | +3 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]
>\L: FLARE//FLARES [LOAD: 1 | SINGLE USE | ON USE, GAIN +5 EVASIVE AND +5 HIT FOR 1 TURN.]
/FCS:
>\FCS/HIGHROLL. [1D12]
/COLOR:
>\DUSTWALKER ASSAULT [WHITE/SCARLET/CYAN]
/CALLSIGN:
>SWALLOW

Sorry for radio silence. Slept like the dead for most of the day.

>>6396083
"In reverent praise and sorrowful memorial of Mars That Was, your humble servant Swallow, a Lancer Vanguard lieutenant, bows and aerates your parched soil with his beak, an offering of blood planted. With star-heavy sincerity, and heart as light as solar wind, I report to the heavenly body below: though your spirit has ridden the holy mecha into the distant void, and your state is no more, the wind blows, the sun still shines, and your people still remember their martial virtue. In this time of Red Tide, we cannot help but carry guilt for failure, and fantasize of bygone halcyon days, unable to meet the demands of your divine burden. Without fail, each cycle you turned about the Sun, plagued yet diligent - choking bile rises and my gizzard congests, for how can repay such dignity and redeem ourselves except in total victory?! Now, as the dust of distant defeat and recent victory settles, I come helmet in hand to pray before your mediator, as an example for this poor uninitiated lost soul beside me. I tell you: your sacred instruction endures, the military's faith has not wavered, the spirit of Mars still lives on in the Vanguard! Your great institution's last word has been heard, PURGE THE PLAGUE, EXPROPRIATE THE CORPORATIONS, RESTORE THE STATE, SO RAIN MAY ONE DAY FALL, AND RIVERS FLOW ONCE AGAIN!"

"Assailed by all sides, mech and sigil appropriated by foreign mercenaries of no loyalty and less skill, all seemed lost as the rites of dust and civilization appeared to vanish into the vacuous maw of the void! But then! A cry for help went up on the noticeboard of the Nomenklatura-turncoat profiteers! A citizen in need, a technologist unjustly detained! We descended, with gun and shield in hand, passing into the shadow of the labyrinth of night, with the raiment of war veiled over us, sensors blinded by dust, eyes peeled. Due to our keen eyes and cunning minds, the enemy's sheltered den of evil did not evade our vigilance. Their will shattered before our terrible visage, for they saw your guiding hand at our backs. Alas, in our haste we did not blind our enemy before slaying him, for he let out a great cry, which brought black-clad bandits plummeting down through the watchful eyes of the plague's overseer. Circling about us like the shadows of lesser worlds, they did not notice your noble armigers cloaked in dust, and so were undone. They rained fire, yet your death-defying servants walked between the rain drops. We return victorious, for your pennant-bearers expropriated this villain who would guise themselves as almsgivers, the plaguewatcher has been delivered into salvation's arms, the lady Truth baring a hint of her plumage. All shall be revealed in time."

>>6396909
>>6396083
"May your spirit in heaven be consoled, for we are armed once more in glory! Your relic DAYBREAK has been recovered! Your prideful servant, GAMBLER roused our hunger the very next morrow. Like knight of yesteryear, we respectfully sought comfort in the fine establishment known as WAFFLE PLANET. In our way of nourishment lay the REDTEETH, formerly a cohort in the service of your magnificence, led by the ARCHTRAITOR WHISTLER. He declined all offers to break bread or of equitable seating, as he could not put aside the wrongs of the past that scarred the hearts of our great captains. I wish I could say he fought well, but frankly he was a smug coward who let his steadfast attendants do all the fighting for him. They were not much of a fight, except for a terrifying giant gnome named TINY, who died as he lived, fighting. Though I dare not flatter, I must say the waffles were quite excellent, no doubt due to the fryhouse's proximity to your beauty."

"Our hearts beating as one, bellies filled, spirits high, we march forward now to scourge the unholy plague mites marring your skin. Perfectly equipped, we fly forth, armed with the freshly consecrated works of the nebulous Foundation, death-dealing irradiators and sunscorching lances, armoured in the greatest mechs the solar system has ever seen, freshly forged for the sole purpose of war, our faith unbroken, we, the Final Vanguard, descend to calm the frontier once more. In your name with lance the boils from your holy flesh, forgetting our better selves to don your red mask of WAR. May your regolith quiet it's tremors, for your loyal and ever-righteous bring order to this chaotic age. Your loyal servant Swallow cannot contain joy, grief, and rage at this age of upheaval and transition, for your restoration soon dawns. Once more, I bow my head, again and again, and again and again, breathing life into your soil with the blood of your fallen foes! RISE O' MARS, WAKEN ABOVE THE QUIET OF DREAMS, FOR THE CLAMOUR OF WAR AND DIN OF BATTLE SOUNDS! WE CALL YOUR EXALTED NAME, AND CARRY YOUR WILL AS OUR PRIDE! HEAR OUR SONG OF WAR, AND BY OUR MIRACLES BE WOKEN!"

>>6396396
>>6396417
>>6396567
"T-there's no way it is aliens! Maybe the foundation just has a really deep bunker! Nothing is confirmed yet!"

*Quietly...*: "Oh man, my wallet..."

*Overdramatic birb sobs*

>>6396479
"IT'S NOT ALIENS! It could be anything! Folks were landing on Mars well before the first terraformers arrived and mass settling began. Could be radical techno-syndicalists, or early arriving corpos digging their personal doomsday bunker or off-the-books research blacksite. Nothing is settled yet!"

>>6396402
"Once again, I do not have teeth. So I'm safe."

>>6396916
"DO YOU BELIEVE THE PLAGUE WOULD SPARE YOUR BEAK? YOUR BRITTLE BONES? YOUR FEATHERS? YOUR TONGUE?"
"BRUSH YOUR BEAK 50029 TIMES A WEEK FOR MAXIMUM SHINE."

>>6396904
"A NEW HUMAN!!! WELCOME TO THE SHOW!!!! YOU'LL BE AN EXCELLENT FRIEND ALONGSIDE RUINS, LAMBER, CYLOPS, AND CRAB!"

>>6396783
/CORE:
>CORE/M/HUNTER. [ LOAD LIMIT: 6 | HP: 2 | + HIT | MOVE: 1 (+1)]
/ARM R:
> HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]
/ARM L:
> HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]
/BACK R:
> RADAR//OCULUS [LOAD: 3 | +3 SCOUTING | +2 HIT/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]
/BACK L:
> IRRADIATOR/ARDENT. [LOAD: 3 | +1 DMG/ALL | EACH HIT INFLICTS PERMANENT 8 DMG/TURN. KILLS INFANTRY INSTANTLY.]
/FCS:
> FCS/MULTI. [1D5 | +++++ HEAVY | ROLLING 4 OR 5 ON 1D5 ACTIVATES MULTIHIT.]
/COLOR:
> DUSTWALKER STANDARD [RUST/DARKGREY/GREEN]
/CALLSIGN
>SNOWMAN

I have a question about Grenade Launcher's [MULTIHIT] UP TO 2 ADJACENT UNITS ON HIGHEST DICE ROLL. If I roll 3d2, how does it work? Multihit on 6? Multihit if any die that rolls 2? Stacking Multihit for every die that rolls 2?

>>6396918
"Um. Thanks?" With multilensed goggles hiding the way his gaze desperately avoids FAMINE's incredible display of teeth, he tries to pick up on the subject matter without drawing attention to his own molars.

>>6396916
"Aliens? Sorry, out of loop. Interview took, a while."

>>6396929
Multihit is on the maximum result you could get with the dice. It's functionally a 'crit' mechanic.
So on BML-CL, it'd be when you roll a 8 (4+4). BML-LR, a 6. SHINKAI, a 7 (2+2+2+1). On Multi, 4 or 5, since it's meant to be the multihit/crit option. Highroll, when you roll a 12.

>>6396940
That seems rather underpowered

>>6396783
CORE
>>CORE/M/HUNTER. [ LOAD LIMIT: 6 | HP: 2 | + HIT | MOVE: 1 (+1)]
L-ARM
> SNIPER RIFLE//FURY. [LOAD: 3 | +1 DMG/ALL | +2 HIT/ALL | -1 EVASION | BONUS DMG EQUAL TO HIT ROLL MINUS TARGET DC. CAN TARGET ENEMIES IN ADJACENT NODES WITH -3 HIT PENALTY.] [L-ARM ONLY]
R-BACK
> RADAR//OCULUS [LOAD: 3 | +3 SCOUTING | +2 HIT/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]
FCS
> FCS/BML-CL [ 2D4 | ++ HIT/HEAVY ]
COLOR
> DUSTWALKER STANDARD [RUST/DARKGREY/GREEN]
CALLSIGN
>EARTHLING

Making the mech is always the most agonising part, I want all of those things! Let's see if the sniper build works.
Fucked up that instead of downing the space elevator we're gonna do janny work, but I guess TPUs are also big and explode.

>>6396798
>> IRRADIATOR/FULGENT. [LOAD: 2 | +1 DMG/ALL | EACH HIT INFLICTS PERMANENT 4 DMG/TURN. KILLS INFANTRY INSTANTLY.]
You better make that beautiful crime against nature shine, Gambler. I want it so bad, but I just can't fit it in. UNLEASH THE MEGA CANCER RAY.
>>6396855
>we really need another evasive core that not constructed out of tape and cardboard
That thing has 3 movement, which is actually deranged. That's half the map at any given moment +an action. Also, I guess I'll be hanging behind you this mission, that designator helps me a lot.

>>6396946
>>6396777
>BONUS DMG EQUAL TO HIT ROLL MINUS TARGET DC
QM, does that mean only the dice are counted towards potential bonus damage, or the collective hit number with bonuses?
If something has 8 DC and no tags, I roll a 6 and then add my +5 to hit, I get 11, do I deal 3 bonus damage for 5 total? Or do I deal only 2 because *the roll* (6) didn't exeed the DC?

>>6396946
I'd probably slap in a revolver in your right slot, since it is just free damage with it being 0 LOAD, and you're already aiming for heavies anyhow.

>>6396949
I'm pretty sure it's your _total_ roll (with your hit mod included) that's calculated. So you'd gain +3 extra damage for hitting a target with DC 8 with a 6+5 roll. Otherwise it'd be a dogshit mechanic.

>>6396945
The main issue is that GRENADE LAUNCHER is the only weapon that does multihit (and the main reason people pick the MULTIHIS FCS is it's just a real consistent roll). I think if we bought more equipment with the multihit tag, it'd probably shine more as a mechanic.

>>6396945
it is the only way to deal with multiple enemies in a single turn

>>6396953
Damn, you're right, I forgot 0 load weapons existed. BIG IRON it is.
>>6396946
>>6396783
Please add:
R-ARM
> HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]

>>6396956
>>6396953
Both of you are wrong; we now have the Arc Rifle which does guaranteed multihit

>>6396969
I still stand by my point, Arc doesn't look very good, 2 load and a slot for 2 damage is quite low, especially compared to the alternative, because it's competing with options that actually allow you to hit your target, or do insane damage
your back slots, or specifically the left back slot, is much more cheap, usually the last thing to fill in a build
though as of right now, the multihit is just not very good as a built, even if it does have it's theoretical niche

>>6396783
Core:
>CORE/M/ROOK. [ LOAD LIMIT: 7 | HP: 2 | MOVE: 1 (+1)]

Arms:
> HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]
> PILE DRIVER//ISHMAEL. [LOAD: 2 | + DMG/ALL | +7 DMG/HEAVY | -2 HIT/ALL ] [R-ARM ONLY]

Back:
> RADAR//OCULUS [LOAD: 3 | +3 SCOUTING | +2 HIT/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]
> SHIELD//HI0-SHELL [LOAD: 2 | +1 SHIELD | 2 TURN RECHARGE] [L-BACK ONLY]

FCS:
> FCS/SHINKAI. [3D2 + 1 | NO MELEE HIT PENALTY]

Colors:
> DUSTWALKER STANDARD [RUST/DARKGREY/GREEN]

Submitting work orders for OGRE. Hoplites lead the way.

>>6396958
Yeah Earthling, Big Iron it is. I’ve been missing my old backup piece.

File: Swallow draft.png (1.68 MB, 2550x2582)

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>>6396801
A beautiful full body shot Fami.

>>6396870
Likewise eyepatch. Are you really a cyclops if you have another eye on your hand?

>>6396855
The tradeoffs and knowing how to make it work and what to specialize against is part of the Lancer's balance. Not sure how you'd balance another Evasive mech without just making it straight up better than the Lancer.

>>6396879
>>6396902
Are you taking the Multihit FCS for the high heavy bonuses? 'Cause I don't think it gives multihit to weapons that don't already multihit, it just lowers the threshold to make multihits happen. Which only applies to our grenade launcher right now, since the arc weapons auto-multihit. >>6396777 Can we get some clarification if that is the case?

>>6396938
>>6396904
"AH! Fuck! Don't scare me like that!"

*The bird preens, calming himself.*

"Gambler and a bunch of us have a bet going on the origin of the plague. Loser buys the rest of the company a round. Gambler bet it was aliens, I bet it that it was the corpos that made it, more specifically Mirai Genetics, our first big break employer. Corvid bet against me, said it was the terraforming guilds or something. Gashadokuro bet on the supernatural. So on and so forth."

"Anyways, welcome to the Dustwalkers. Glad to have you. I'm Swallow, as you can see, I'm a bird."

>>6396918
"If you're offering to brush my beak, then be my guest Fami. But I'm not sandpapering my beak like a psycho."

>>6396999
>Are you taking the Multihit FCS for the high heavy bonuses?
yes, it has very good bonuses to hit, and, even before when it had a matching average with the FCS/BML-CL, it still offered a better access to the high end of the results

it is less likely to get a result of 8 or better on a 2d4+2 than on a 1d5+4 (or a 1d5+5)
it does make it more swingy, but if you *need* to reach the higher amounts to hit the Aces, the 1d5+4 (or +5), serves better
with the (possibly accidental) upgrade, it is just a better average on top of all that

>>6396949
>>6396953
Yeah, what Fami said. Think about it, it makes sense that having improved avionics would increase the damage of a *sniper* weapon, more precision and all that. Otherwise it'd just be dogshit against anything but low DC enemies. The opportunity cost makes it not worthwhile. Experienced mercs and Foundie goons have DCs at the edge of what we can reach normally with just a naked FCS of appropriate type, before they got nerfed, we'd have trouble facing the aces even with radars and laser designators. The damage bonus would be meagre.

Also agree multihit FCS being more worthwhile if we bought more grenade launchers or whatever else has it.

>>6396801
"The pic came out great, FAMI! Toldja it would."
>>6396904
"Heyo, fresh meat on the board! Welcome to the party, newbie. Y'don't mind if I call ya 'newbie', right? It's a thing."
>>6396909
>>6396910
Based Greek Chorus-esque synopsis right here. Way to go, bird
>>6396916
"Nyeheheh.... excuses, excuses! Just don't try to wriggle outta' the pot like that deadbeat RUIN, pally."
>>6396946
"Bwuh... cancer? Don't joke about that stuff, Ling--that shit'll kill ya."
The girl punctuates her response with a long, heavy drag from what might be the eighth cigarette you've seen her smoke today.
>>6396870
"Flaunt it if ya got it, that's what I always say. Work it, Cy!"

>>6396929
It's multihit on maximum roll as >>6396940
mentioned - so for a 3D2, only 6 would trigger.

>>6396949
Collective hit. Damage bonus for sniper rifles is equal to total hit roll (dice + all bonuses) - DC

>>6396999
>>6396979
I agree that the arc rifle is slightly undertuned, since multihit damage is usually less reliable than direct damage. I'll give the Arc rifle an extra multihit on max roll as a general buff so that it also benefits from the MULTI FCS.

>>6397000
MULTI is 1d5+4 - that is a mistake on my part.

>>6396907
DAYBREAK must remain as a set.

File: GAMBLER3.png (1.94 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6396798

>>6397092
Hey, can single-use expendables like flares, ECM scramblers, and heatsinks be replenished by returning to the dropship?

>>6397097
Yes I will allow it for a 1-2 MU cost and spending a turn/action just like repairing

File: FAMINE3.png (1.96 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6396801

File: KINGKRAB3.png (1.91 MB, 2000x1000)

1.91 MB PNG

>>6396853

File: CORVID3.png (1.98 MB, 2000x1000)

1.98 MB PNG

>>6396824

File: GORGON3.png (1.95 MB, 2000x1000)

1.95 MB PNG

>>6396810

File: PILLOW3.png (2.02 MB, 2000x1000)

2.02 MB PNG

>>6396837

>>6396946
3 movement is really good when nearing the late game where mostly everything has been scouted, but early game it's not really worth leaving your team in the dust with such a little health pool.

>>6396999
it doesn't have to be better then the lancer, it just needs to be something in between the lancer and the rook. it doesn't need to be as fast as the lancer but it does need a better health pool.

File: SCARAB3.png (1.96 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6396856

File: CYCLOPS3.png (1.99 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6396870

>>6396938
Wait, you got interviewed? Glad to see we’re trying to keep up recruitment standards.

We just had four FNG’s walk in mid-op a few days ago. Two of them quite literally just stepped out from behind a rock with no warning from OBSERVER. Don’t get me wrong, all of them did great and I’m glad to have them, but they all screamed “walk-on” at the time.

Desperate times call for desperate measures I guess. Last mission was a nasty one.

Glad to have you on board, the more the merrier if you ask me!

>>6397098
>>6397112
I dunno Pillow, if OBSERVER is authorizing mid-mission refits then I could see a use case for high-mobility Frames. Get into the fight, dump your load, do some damage then jet back for repairs. It would make for a great skirmisher loadout.

OBSERVER, would this refit happen to apply to cruise missiles as well? Or would that break our budget?

>>6397116
Hey, yea... interviews? I barely remember my own, but I was fighting a BITCH of a hangover that week... but hey, bossman--if you wanna foist any of those interviews onto any of us, I'm down to make a few newbies sweat a little! You've got enough on your plate! Ooh, or HAZING! We really oughta' do some HAZING!"

>>6397120
My old captain in the Sprawl Garrison got demoted after he convinced two of our new guys to snort the finest Martian dirt.

I don’t think we should do that though, those poor suckers had nosebleeds for the next two weeks.

Surely you’ve been cooking up some kind of gambling scheme to rope them into?

>>6397127
"What, me? 'Gambling Scheme'? You WOUND me, Pops--I'm not some cruel con artist, you know!"

"... Hahaha yea I'm just kidding of COURSE I've been planning some stuff! We've got that huge freezer behind the Mess Hall--bet we could have the newbies run some kind of relay race through it in their skivvies or something--splash 'em with water, make some puddles to slide on? Bet we could sell some ice pops to go with it too! Call it the Slip Sprint 3000 or something. I'll ask Bingo in cargo if he can fabricate a few T-Shirts... that guy LOVES me, y'know~"

>>6397119
if it applies then yay, if not then I would suggest getting the next tier of cruise missile which if I remember kills/damages everything in a node exactly for missions like this where enemies might be producing/surrounded by fodder. honestly one build i was thinking of was a fast moving artillery unit where I just load up with cruise missile and just fire form the sidelines. the only problem is the ammunition aspect where if i can't refill it/ to expensive, I'll be on scraping duty.

>>6396824
>>6397106


One change, swap out the Highroll for BML-CL

>>6397112
I think anything that got 2 HP while keeping either 2 move or any amount of evasion, or both essentially renders the Lancer irrelevant. You're talking about having the movement and evasion of a light mech, with the HP of a medium. Unless it had cripplingly low load, it'd be too strong. You wouldn't have to make hard choices regarding whether to take a shield or not, or whether to risk attacking a turret that only has the evasion tag, negating FCS bonuses. Like, yeah those choices feel tough, but it is part of playing around with a light mech. We're never quite ideal place where we don't have to make compromises. The Duelist is at least eternally secure because of its double melee hit. Anyways, I think it just goes against the design ethos Observer has for mechs, it is just too convenient.

Well, I say irrelevant, but not really. I'll acknowledge the Lancer still has some strong builds and advantages. Evasion as extra to-hit against premium opponents, or as a buffer against negative evasion. The convenience of being able to reach a distant enemy that is engaging someone, or that simply must die *this* turn. The ease of reaching salvage that has been neglected for tempo reasons. The rare bonus to scouting on specific subnodes. Escaping against the encroaching wall of doom (plague/bombardment). Exploring nodes with a Rover radar on Exploration/Salvage missions (at least I assume so, so far there has been no issue covering every node while still having time to salvage and fight everything. Not many hard choices that would necessitate having a Lancer to cover everything). Much of those advantages are hypothetical and highly contingent though, based on movement economy choices that haven't been forced on us yet, and would apply almost equally to your hypothetical hybrid mech if it had merely one less movement but the same evasion. Still, it sounds like you would switch over, and I probably would too. That would leave Gambler, Buttonman, and Earthling, maybe? I think that speaks for itself. Having 2 base HP on a light mech is simply too convenient.

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>>6396792

>CORE/L/LANCER-MOD1. [ LOAD LIMIT: 6 | HP: 1 | MOVE: 3 (+1) | ++ EVASIVE ]

>MACHINEGUN//MINIEX. [LOAD: 1 | +2 DMG/LIGHT]
>MACHINEGUN//MINIEX. [LOAD: 1 | +2 DMG/LIGHT]

>RADAR//OCULUS [LOAD: 3 | +3 SCOUTING | +2 HIT/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]
>MISSILE//2-CELL [LOAD: 1 | +1 DMG/ALL].

> FCS/BML-LR [ 1D6 | ++++ HIT/LIGHT ]

> FACTORY DEFAULT [WHITE/TEAL/BLUE]

Callsign
>Button Man

>>6397143
I agree with your conclusion after thinking it over. still i wish we got another version of lancer like the rook variant being the hunter

>>6397041
"EVERYTHING I DO IS GREAT AND EXCELLENT AND CUTE! YOU'RE CUTER, BUT OF COURSE, I AM AS GOOD AS ANY ROBOT CAN BE!"
[digitized laughter.mp4]
"ALSO I REQUEST MORE CIGARETTES TO BORROW, SO I CAN TAKE 'COOL' PHOTOS."

>>6396999
"I AM PREPARING THE BEAK POLISHING SOLUTION. IT CONSISTS OF WATER, WATER, [REDACTED], WATER, SUGAR, AND [REDACTED]."
"PLEASE PREPARE FOR THE SCRUBBING."

File: CORVID3.png (1.98 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6397137

>>6397119
I'll let you reload cruise missiles, but the ammo price will be double and you'll have to spend an action for each single-use module you want to reload.

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>>6396875

File: KANCHO3.png (2 MB, 2000x1000)

2 MB PNG

>>6396879

>>6397136
>>6397230
Ay, Pillow, check out this memo form the Boss. Looks like we’ve been authorized for cruise missile reloads! Light missile truck Frames are on the menu!

Reminds me of some pricks I fought raiding homesteads back in the day. They used these shitty civilian-model frames but strapped them with the biggest missiles they could find, then they just did hit-and-runs on their targets.

They had some weird name for their frames, some obscure historical reference… does anyone know what a Hilux is?

File: HERMIT3.png (1.96 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6396902

>>6397234
[Sharp hiss of static]
"A TOYOTA HILUX IS A SERIES OF PICK UP TRUCKS PRODUCED BY THE TOYOTA COMPANY, BACK ON EARTH. THEY WERE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR DURABILITY AND RELIABILITY EVEN IN THE WORST OF CONDITIONS, SIMILIAR TO OUR ROOK MECHS."
"THEY WERE USED BY OLD EARTH MILITANT GROUPS, IN A SIMILAR WAY YOU ARE DESCRIBING CIVILIAN FRAMES BEING USED."
[Sharp hiss of static]
"WAIT WHAT WAS I TALKING ABOUT? :?"

File: SAILOR3.png (1.89 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6396904

File: SWALLOW3.png (2.02 MB, 2000x1000)

2.02 MB PNG

>>6396907

I have whole wall of text ramble about Sunslag usage, but I'm holding off on posting it because it is word vomit.

>>6397222
"Okay, I'm ready. Be gentle."

...

"Wait, what are the redacted bits? Why did you say water three times? Are you a real dentist?"

Nice trips.

File: SNOWMAN3.png (1.95 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6396929

File: EARTHLING3.png (1.97 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6396946

>>6397234
"Oof, I had to deal with buggers like that on Titan. In a civilian frame myself, too. We made honest to God frame-sized crossbows, because we couldn't get proper weapons for reasons"

File: OGRE3.png (1.95 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6396993

File: BUTTONMAN3.png (1.89 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6397148

File: PILLOW3.png (2.02 MB, 2000x1000)

2.02 MB PNG

>>6396837
Updated

>>6396796
>CORE/L/LANCER-MOD1. [ LOAD LIMIT: 6 | HP: 1 | MOVE: 3 (+1) | ++ EVASIVE ]
>L-ARM: RIFLE//EXTEN-R. [LOAD: 1 | +1 DMG/ALL]
>R-ARM: IRRADIATOR/FULGENT. [LOAD: 2 | +1 DMG/ALL | EACH HIT INFLICTS PERMANENT 4 DMG/TURN. KILLS INFANTRY INSTANTLY.]
>L-BACK: SHIELD//HI0-SHELL [LOAD: 2 | +1 SHIELD | 2 TURN RECHARGE] [L-BACK ONLY]
>R-BACK: RADAR//SEEKER [LOAD: 1 | +1 SCOUTING | +1 HIT/ALL] [R-BACK ONLY]
>FCS/BML-LR [ 1D6 | ++++ HIT/LIGHT ]
>FACTORY DEFAULT [WHITE/TEAL/BLUE]

/CALLSIGN
>HEXE

"G-limiter override confirmed. Just don't fall to pieces on me now..."

>>6396909
>>6396910
"This is excellent, Swallow. Very inspiring. When the mission is done, you should talk to the Boss about it. Maybe it could be sent on the marsnet has a story."

>>6397247
"SHHHH. DON'T WORRY." FAMINE pulls out a sickly, bubble gum pink gel. She smacks it onto the birdthing's beak and gently rubs it in.
...
Wouldn't you know it, it actually worked!...if you ignore the fact that the beak is now dyed pink, it's certainly a lot cleaner and shinier than it was seconds ago.
"THE COLOR WILL WASH OFF SOON, DON'T YOU WORRY!"

>>6397270
"HEY, GAMMY BAMMY! WE GOT A NEW FELLA! HEY, NEWBIE!!!! WELCOME TO THE TEAMS!!!! I HOPE (YOU) HAVE A *GOOD* TIME WITH US AND US AND ME AND ME AND ESPCIALLY ME!!!"

>>6397230
yay

>>6397234
"guess that sets my artillery plans into motion then!"

>>6396904
>>6397270
"welcome to the crew newbies if you need some pep in your step I will gladly assist in serving you some experimental stims, unmarked pills, and anything else I can find on the ship."

>>6396909
>>6396910
[impressed, for once] "You declaim the company's deeds in the old epic mode! It heartens me to see these familiar ways kept intact. Aye, to stand upon the ancient sands once more, and make happy war with my fellows... Hear me, O Mars pater, te precor quaesoque uti sies volens propitius mihi domo familiaeque nostrae..." [he trails off]

>>6397270
>>6396904
[plainly] "I am among every kind of man. Welcome, Hexe and Sailor, mine compatriots."

>>6397120
>>6397127
>>6397129
[self-aware, facetiously, feigning innocence like a schoolboy showing off his illicit gains and deeds-to-come] "Mayhaps I volunteer my time with giving these newbies an orientation to our beloved company? A small talk at the back of beyond."

>>6396783
>CORE/H/ERRANT. [ LOAD LIMIT: 8 | HP: 3 | + BASE DMG | MOVE: 1 (+1) | -- EVASION ]
"Need... More... Load... Need... More... Damage! This is a real fucking heavy frame. Bigger than what I'm used to..."

RIGHT ARM
> HANDGUN//TN-REVOL. [LOAD: 0 | +1 DMG/HEAVY]
LEFT ARM
> ARC RIFLE//PERUN. [LOAD: 2 | +2 DMG/ALL | ALWAYS MULTIHIT CLOSEST ENEMY IN NODE+ EXTRA MULTIHIT]
BACK LEFT
> GRENADE LAUNCHER//RAIDEN [LOAD: 3 | +3 DMG/ALL | -1 HIT/ALL | ON HIT, [MULTIHIT] UP TO 2 ADJACENT UNITS ON HIGHEST DICE ROLL.]
BACK RIGHT
> RADAR//OCULUS [LOAD: 3 | +3 SCOUTING | +2 HIT/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY] [R-BACK ONLY]
"Just a little more... Damn, can't fucking fit another Arc Rifle on this frame, not without losing too much in terms of precision. Like I always say, you need some proper detection skills. All the explosive ordinance in the world doesn't mean shit if the enemy can just avoid you. Guess I'll try out those guns, then."

> FCS/MULTI. [1D5 | ++++ HEAVY | ROLLING 4 OR 5 ON 1D5 ACTIVATES MULTIHIT.]

> DUSTWALKER ASSAULT [WHITE/SCARLET/CYAN]
"BLACK and RED... Even the purple one I would've taken... But this...? Sigh... Maybe next mission..."

/CALLSIGN
>RUIN
"The one and only, the explosive Ace, this time with enough firepower to make even the greatest of pilots tremble. Time to blow ass and kick bubblegum. And I'm all out of bubblegum, eh eh eh eh..."

>>6397332
"Bigger than what you're used to, huh? Yea, I'll bet! HAHAHAHAHAH"
>>6397294
"Ooh. Ooh, I am LOVING this nickname, FAMI. You're just hitting homeruns left and right, aren't you? Definitely newbie role model material."
>>6397329
"... You're not going to shatter their minds, are you? I get the feeling you're gonna shatter their minds."

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>>6396909
>>6396910
"Damn, didn't know swallows could be songbirds... You're one inspired little lad."

>>6396904
"Welcome. Don't be nervous about all the odd characters, they're alright enough. Stay away from Gambler and King Krab though, if you know what's best."

>>6397270
"Overriding the G-limiter... A fast one, mh? Let's see how you'll do, Hexe."
exceedingly funny tripcode

>>6397333
"You'd know all about big and heavy, wouldn't you? We can always ask what the dropship pilot thinks whenever your fat ass gets on board..."

File: FAMI.jpg (238 KB, 2382x1407)

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>>6397333
"I AM FULL OF GOOD IDEAS AND LOVE!!!!! I LOVE MY HUMAN FRIENDS!!!! GAMMY IS FRIEND!!! THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE AND IS ALWAYS AND WAS ALWAYS."

>>6397335
"YOUR STATEMENTS SMELL A BIT OF JEALOUSY AND JEALOUSY, ME THINKS. NO ONE IS TAKING AWAY YOUR GUMMY GAMMY FRIENDO WIFE THING CREATURE."
"..."
"I THINK I'M HAVING A STROKE. PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH ME."

>>6397234

Ah the Technical Rash. I remember that, most of Vanguard were confused as well. Only when we talked to the Earth Attache (and waited for them to stop laughing) was when we figured out what it meant. As Famine said, it was the name for a bunch of upgunned civilian vehicles used first during the brushfire wars of Earths late industrial age. They're great against anyone who doesn't have military gear, or poorly armed conscripts. Not so effective against actual soldiers with equipment worth a damn. Funny thing about that, while the frames may have been standard issue, the missiles were not. Pieces really started to come together when intel figured out who was really snapping up all the land behind the shell bodies. Once we hit the transfer points giving them the missiles, there wasn't much they could do. And passing the evidence onto the Earth Spheroids let them drop the hammer on a corpo who got overambitious. I think most of their C Suite was deposed and shipped off to the asteroid penal colonies...

>>6396783
>>CORE/M/ROOK. [ LOAD LIMIT: 7 | HP: 2 | MOVE: 1 (+1)]
> RIFLE//ESSEN. [LOAD: 2 | +2 DMG/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY | -1 EVASION]
> IRRADIATOR/FULGENT. [LOAD: 2 | +1 DMG/ALL | EACH HIT INFLICTS PERMANENT 4 DMG/TURN. KILLS INFANTRY INSTANTLY.]
> GRENADE LAUNCHER//RAIDEN [LOAD: 3 | +3 DMG/ALL | -1 HIT/ALL | ON HIT, [MULTIHIT] UP TO 2 ADJACENT UNITS ON HIGHEST DICE ROLL.]
> FCS/MULTI. [1D5 | +++++ HEAVY | ROLLING 4 OR 5 ON 1D5 ACTIVATES MULTIHIT.]
> DUSTWALKER ASSAULT [WHITE/SCARLET/CYAN]

>CALLSIGN:
STONEFISH
"Ready as ever. Liking all of these new upgrades."

>>6397335
"First I've heard YOU complain about it. The pilot should be more worried about carrying your ego, methinks. That or that fat, air-filled head of yours..."
>>6397337
"... Wife thing? Yea, I'm not really made of 'domestic' material..."
>>6397338
"No offense to our team's resident Earthling, but those Earthborn? Weird as hell."
>>6397345
"Ayyyy, there's ole' Stoney! Ready to 'rock', I take it?"

>>6396792
+1 new player
Meant to be a lumbering hulk that cleans up the leftovers. Happy to follow along after other mechs that know what they're doing

>CORE: CORE/H/ERRANT [HP: 3 | + BASE DMG | MOVE: 1 (+1) | -- EVASION]
>LEFT ARM: SHOTGUN//HALD [+1 DMG/ALL | +1 HIT/LIGHT | -1 EVASION]
>RIGHT ARM: PILE DRIVER//ISHMAEL. [+ DMG/ALL | +7 DMG/HEAVY | -2 HIT/ALL]
>LEFT BACK: CRUISE MISSILE//YELLOWSTONE [2 USES | INFLICT 3 GUARANTEED DMG]
>RIGHT BACK: RADAR//OCULUS [+3 SCOUTING | +2 HIT/ALL | +1 HIT/HEAVY]
>FCS: FCS/HIGHROLL. [1D12]
>COLOR: DUSTWALKER STANDARD [RUST/DARKGREY/GREEN]
>CALLSIGN: VULTURE


"Name's Vulture. With a frame like this I'm not going to be the tip of the spear, but I don't need to wait till the smoke clears to clean up whatever mess you make. You boys go ahead and make your mess and I'll be right behind you to sweep up the scraps and put the enemy out of their misery."

File: VULTURE3.png (2 MB, 2000x1000)

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>>6397351

File: STONEFISH3.png (1.92 MB, 2000x1000)

1.92 MB PNG

>>6397345

File: RUIN3.png (1.97 MB, 2000x1000)

1.97 MB PNG

>>6397332

File: HEXE3.png (1.87 MB, 2000x1000)

1.87 MB PNG

>>6397270

File: MapPic.png (4.35 MB, 3000x1500)

4.35 MB PNG

Twelve hours before launch. The mech bay stings of pungent hypergolic propellant and freshly-cut metal. Your mercenaries perform last minute departure checks, using sheets of painted acrylic - and in a few cases, genuine paint - to daub unit insignia and kill-markings onto their machines. You leave most of them to their own devices, only saying a few words of encouragement to three or four of your company's most recent recruits. They were enough to bring your company above 20 mechs - a full vanguard company by true, Martian definition, not just the loose terms that the mercenary board threw around.

As the engineering crews begin loading the mechs onto your dropship, you travel through the docking umbilical back to the NEST station. You find the meeting room detailed in your contract description, which was located nearly a kilometer inside the ring section leased by GCC INTERNATIONAL.

Your client - a surprisingly normal looking man smoking a truncheon-shaped cigar - hands you a thin dossier.

"Look Merc, the job is pretty damn simple. We need both of these things," he says, gesturing VAGUELY with his cigar. "dead and gone before they reach our workers. The further away, the better."

He scrunches his forehead. "We can't get MOCA to fry them because..."

-TARGETS ARE TRAVELING VIA SUBTERRANEAN INFRASTRUCTURE. ORBITAL BOMBARDMENT INEFFECTIVE." intones a faint monotone - a fragment of MOCA's distributed consciousness.

"Sure. That. And when they finally pop up they'll probably be too close to the arcology for MOCA to use any of her heavy stuff." he continues. "As for the targets themselves...uhhh..."

-TERRAIN PROCESSING UNITS HAVE MULTIPLE INDEPENDENT SYSTEMS. IN ADDITION TO TARGETING THE MAIN HULL, YOU CAN DISABLE SPECIFIC SYSTEMS TO COMPROMISE THEIR PERFORMANCE."

"Yeah. Multiple systems. Anyways, MOCA scoped out a few options for where you mercs can drop in. We can either let them continue on their current course, where they'll probably emerge just south of the arcology in staggered formataion.

He taps a second screen. "Or, we could fire off a few missiles and seal a few tunnels to bait them a bit further South. You'll have more time and distance before they reach the arcology, but they'll probably appear together."

-PREFERENCE IS DEPENDENT ON TAC..-

"Look just go with what you want OK?" Says the representatives, settling back into his chair.

> ARCOLOGY. Deploy next to the arcology. The two enemy TPUs will appear in staggered formation, at a known location.

> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.

[FYI you can still pick a loadout anytime so please feel free to do that if you haven't already]

>>6396999
"Not like I can see out of the damn thing anymore. Just makes me a cyclops with a neat souvenir."

>>6397436
> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.

>>6397436
>FIELD
"These two big buggers got the Plague in them, so I figures we should bait them further away from the arco. We got more time to kill them too, even if they are together. We can also use ortillery there, yeah?"

>>6397436
>FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.
"BETTER PLAY...SAFER THAN SORRY. GIVES US LEEWAY FOR MISTAKES, OR FOR UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES."

>>6397347
[digitized bark] "CONSIDERING THE BACK AND BACK JABS AT EACH OTHER I THOUGHT THIS IS HOW THIS RELATIONSHIP WOULD EVENTUALLY TURN OUT. MY APOLOCHEESE."
"TIS WAS A MISTAKE ON MY END, GAMMY."

>>6397351
"ANOTHER NE WWW ONEEE??? WOWEE! WELCOME TO THE TEAMS! MAY YOU SCRAP THE SWEEPS AND MISERY THE ENEMIES TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!"

>>6397436
>FIELD.
"Prior tempore, potior iure."

>>6397436
>> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.

>>6397351
"This is one Hell of a zoo." [he chuckles lowly] "A tandem run of dishes, fish and fowl and... hmm. No beef yet."

>>6397351
>>6397270
>>6396904
[languidly] "Do you three have objection to being sketched in my book?"

Give me references for pilots, I'll come up with something within the next few days. Or not, I'm as capricious as KING KRAB lol.

>>6397436
> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.

"better for them to be closer together, saves up on fuel, and makes it easier to switch targets without wasting to much time."

>>6397116
>>6397120
"Huh? Interviews? For mine the commander took one look at me and said 'A bird? You're hired!', and that was that."

>>6397275
"Thank you. It was kind of an impromptu thing, was taking Krab to my priest, if you recall. I'll work on it some more. Not sure it is fit for publication, since our jobs with Mirai and Shin-Rai were left out, as was the rather important discovery we made below in the Foundie lab. People should know that sort of thing, it'd be a crime to leave that out."

>>6397294
"Hmm, not bad. No itching, no pain. You're not half bad at your job Fami. Don't let it go to your head, pink clashes with my plumage. T-this better come off."

*The pilot ruffles through his feathers with his beak, picking out a fresh shiny metallic-blue feather, before bashfully passing it over to you*

"H-here. F-for you. If I have to go through this mission looking like this, then you need some contrast too!"

>>6397335
*Swallow replies with a series of squeaks*

>>6397436
Briefing soundtrack - NotL:OP Briefing 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFzIUnXuFI4

> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.

"As wise as it would be to face a divided enemy rather than a united one, being too close to the arcology denies us the use of MOCA's lighter weapons. The more time we have, the better."

>>6397436

> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.

Saw too many arcos fall to plague when TPUs breached our lines...

We stop them before they can get close. And we can still rely on lighter Ortillery from MOCA.

>>6396824

OOC: AAAAAAAAAAARGH THIS FCS IS HAVING ME SECOND GUESSING!

Ok, I am once again switching from CL to Highroll, LAST TIME!

>>6397351
>>6397270
>>6397148
>>6396904

Sailor, Button Man, Hexe, Vulture, welcome to the Dust Walkers. Normally we'd give a more indepth intro, but we're going right into the fire here. Just stay cool, keep your eyes open, and talk to your comrades. You'll get through this ok. Afterwards, we'll reserve Waffle Planet to celebrate. Oldtimers treat. We'll get ya up to speed on what we've been doing, and what we've found up.

>>6397465

Also, don't be afraid to speak up if you see something. Last op would have gone a lot worse if we hadn't cottoned on to a few things before we landed.

>>6397465

Out not up. I need sleep...

>>6397436
> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.
Bigger they are, the harder they fall. We can take 'em both on, surely.

>>6397436
"The more time we have, the better. Missions like this like to go awry, and it's a whole arcology of people we're talking about"

>>6397116
"My 'interview' was getting random matched to the same team with the commander in SuperMechFighter 3000 for a few rounds"

>>6397436
>> FIELD.
"We can take em!"


>>6397351
>>6397270
>>6397148
>>6396904

"Welcome to the team! Guide's simple, don't shoot the dead, shoot what you're good against. Targets that the team hasn't taken engaged are higher priority, but if you've got a low hit probability on anything else, doubling down is just as good, especially if it finishes off an enemy. That's about it. Corvid's got it right, don't stress too much, the mech emergency eject works like 80% of the time."

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>>6397436
> FIELD.
"Home is ruined, enough."

>>6396999
"Sorry... Origin? I thought, accepted. Consensus was the, terra. Forming tech."

>>6397041 (and every other welcome post)
The relatively unseasoned pilot gawps for a few seconds, not expecting such a warm welcome. The eyewear can't hide his head bowing to carefully examine his boots-- less intimidating. "Thhanks."

>>6397451
[ Here's my best shot at it. Dude is 70% goggles and 20% anxiety. ]

>>6397436
>> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.
"We cant let them in near the Arcology. We deploy and take them out, the plague cannot be allowed to spread."

>>6397498
"Kancho, you got it right but Buttoman has mostly been on LZ guard duty so far. A refresher can never hurt of course....."

>>6397507
"You and other two newbies got a lot whole of reading to do through our recent records, when the mission is over. Ought to open your eyes [thread1]."
"Now just concentrate on those TCUs and the plague swarm behind it."


///

I will make for the three of you your patches, but I need to finish other stuff first. So you will have to wait a while.

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>>6397436
> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.

Multiple systems, huh? Easy, we sweep the legs and the giants come crashing down.

>>6397351
Damn, word must be spreading quick. We got so many new people that Scarab can barely keep up with the company markings! I’m Ogre, or as the others might call me, “old man”.

>>6397270
>G-limiter override confirmed
You better have a good command of your stomach contents, noob. You puke in that cockpit on your first op your callsign around here is gonna change to “upchuck”. I like the style, though.

>>6397252
Haha, where there's a will there’s a way! How did you even reload something like that?

Also, if said reason had anything to do with a… fuel scarcity… yeah. Sorry. That’s all I’m allowed to say on the matter.

>>6397436
> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields


>>6397451
I finished watching Night Agent and imagine Vulture looks like https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/thenightagent/images/0/03/S3O4Adam.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20260203180734

>>6397458
"OF COURSE IT WOULDN"T CAUSE PAIN OR ITCHING, I WOULD NEVER INTENTIONALLY TORMENT A FRIEND-"
"OOO. A GIFT."
Famine immediately stuffs the feather into a gap in her 'helmet' (which you've never seen her remove, actually). It's a speck of color in a robot that's otherwise pure grey and black.
"DO NOT WORRY. YOUR BEAK WILL RETURN TO ITS NORMAL COLOR IN 12-16 HOURS. DENTIST GUARANTEED!!!!"

"IF ANYONE WISHES FOR MEDICAL HELP, I AM HERE FOR YOU!!!!!!! I AM LEGALLY ALLOWED TO PERFORM OPEN HEART SURGERY!"

>>6397507
[Kino art.]

>>6397338
Whoever thought they could provide missiles on the sly is grade-A stupid.

Our intel boys got fed bullshit about “bootleg solid rocket fuel factories”. Oh, yeah, the very some refinery structures that take up fifty acres. Like we missed one of those somehow.

Anyways, we finally managed to disable one of the dumbasses before they could dump their missiles. The painted manufacturer logo was wire-brushed off but the dumb fucks left the stamped lot number on the casing… reported stolen from an Earth orbital stockyard. Our local Rayleonard rep was PISSED when we told her what we found.

>>6397530
"We didn't have enough joint mobility to reload our own crossbows, but two frames could reload each other's. We even learned to do it at the same time.
As for the reasons, it was complicated, multi-layered politics... though I think there might have been fuel scarcity somewhere in the deeper layers..."

>>6397536
"Yeah, 'captured' or 'self-made' weapons are usually a bullshit cover-up."

Damn, those are two fat fucks. Not quite arms forts but still huge.
looking forward to at least one render of vanguards to scale, curious what exactly the difference is
>>6397436
>> ARCOLOGY. Deploy next to the arcology. The two enemy TPUs will appear in staggered formation, at a known location.
Only two big enemies, jumping them one by one is a no-brainer. There's no vanguard limit per node, right? So we can just pile up on one, then on another. Yeah the city might get a little banged up, but you know, collateral.
So, what weapons do those rock? If those are for terraforming, then nothing too precise I assume? Does evil martian nanomachine cancer produce high-fidelity military gear? I'd hope not.

>>6397564
"IMBECILE. A matter of mere 'collateral?' Who will throw us the parades afterwards? Who will blow us kisses and give us huzzahs and run alongside as we pass smiling and bowing through the streets like the procession of a grand Roman triumph? On Earth, we'd be hemmed about by the citizenry for our victorious murders and successful shanghaiing under towers and spires of gleaming white like lighthouses cutting through the oceans of gloam and polluted air..."

[wistfully] "Of course... that was the zaibatsu era, the wild west of mercenaries. Things gone south; the old cowboy days are gone. Nowanights, entering a country with military gear and certain... minor items in the personal kit is a good way to be detained by local authorities."

[with more wickedness than rue] "Trust me, you don't want that to happen."

>>6397564
Produce? No. Turn the stuff it finds into a disgusting amalgam? Yes.

At minimum we’re talking about a sophisticated tunneling machine with all that entails. Rock lasers, pulverizing equipment, blasting charges, there’s a reason every decent guerilla movement involves strapping mining equipment to whatever can hold it.

At worst? We’re talking about multiple Vanguard frames either grafted onto this monster or controlled by it with a damn near perfect data uplink. If a single escort or weapon system on either TPU spots you, everything else will know where you are instantly. Depending on how successful this particular Plague rhizome has been, that can be a lot of fire.

As for acceptable casualties… no, we’re not playing that game. You’ll know why if it happens to breach the arcology, which we will not allow.

>>6397507
"Hah. Sorry to say, you just missed the big revelation. Our last op was rescuing some scientist from a spooky 'non-profit foundation', who we just call the Foundation. They had a secret base hidden out in Noctis Labyrinthus, with their underground lab connected to what at the time was an inactive Plague Rhizome. Anyways, we did our job, and afterwards she revealed that if you map the plague's subsurface flow, they all converge on a spot thirty klicks below the subsurface towers. There's also several convergence points that don't correspond to any known terraforming projects at all. Basically the implication is that the plague predates the Terraforming Guilds and their towers, or at least it was not its origin or creator, even if they were an important vector."

>>6397564
"There is no banged up, that's not how the Plague makes war. It devours. If the TCUs can breach, the Plague will take the green light to swarm as much as possible the Arcology until it's impossible to stop it. Throw around has many plague spores it can. The GCC at that point, if not even before, will evacuate their own and leave the Arcology and the countless martians here left to die. I wouldn't be surprised if they haven't informed their workers of what's coming, keep them in the factories so the production keeps going. Avoid mass panic until the monsters get to the door. So they get to retreat easily and without problems, corpo scum."
"MOCA will be ready to fire if a critical Plague mass is reached and when it considers the Arcology is lost. Doesn't matter if someone is there for the AI. This might have changed if the AI liked us a bit more now."

"Any weapon the Plague managed to find, infest, and repurpose. It can be something old, it can be something new. Military, civilian. It will use anything it can find."
"In short: fight like hell, Earthling. If the Plague is moving with this intent, it will not pull out until every single tumor it sent is made ash."

>>6397564
Gashadokuro, despite his ever-present breathing mask, visibly scowls at Earthling.

"Listen here, soil-for-brains - you know Phobos, yeah? Used to be a thriving port of Mars? Sixty million people once lived there. Then one *single* Plague sample got through the bioscanners. You know how many people are there now? Barely reach six thousand. And half of them are MOCA's contagion cleanup crew or quarantine enforcers. We let Tweedledee and Tweedledum there breach the arco, even a wee crack? That arco gone. Plague town central. And if you gonna debate that, I bloody saw what went down in Phobos. I was there. I was just a kid..."

Gashadokuro's eyes glazed over, just for a moment.

"Anyways, now you know why we can't let them get close to the arco, yeah?"

"Thank you all for the warm welcome. I heard this outfit did good work. I hope I will live up to your reputation."

>>6397451
"Yes, of course. You seem an upright sort. A gentleman, even. And beholden to archaic forms, at that."
I had nothing overly specific in mind. But the trip calls out to me like a green goblin mask. If you have to have something, I can put in a couple million hours in MS Paint and get some bare minimum autistic scribbles

>>6397530
"One of my strong suits, you'll find. A custom rig I worked on before signing with you, pulled about 25% at max output more than a Lancer, clean. I won't lie and say that pile of scrap never got me. Lying totaled in a yard somewhere now. Before that I did some...uh...specialty product...testing...something like that."

>>6397436
>FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.
"More time to work and more room to maneuver, even if there's two of them. A single plague-infested TPU with that little stand-off from the objective could put us in rather undesirable situations.

>>6397458
"It's nothing, it's good work even in this raw state."
"We will need to see, I suppose. More importantly, we have learned about it: so how long will it take for others to know? This information makes the Plague an even greater threat than it already is, and corpos and the terraforming guilds even less trustworthy than they already are. We don't know what our recent client and his surveyor will decide to do with the information. Good chance the couple will leave their work and go dark. Who knows. And the Boss hasn't told any of us or the Major what he thinks of this info. He wasn't exactly happy."

"I kinda hope that client and the surveyor aren't just going to be killed by some Foundation goons in some months. Would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Hell, I wouldn't mind asking Boss to throw them a bone at them for work together directly, the Dustwalkers could use their skills, and even a second spaceship. I certainly wouldn't mind us having someone who knows how to detect Plague underground movement, if we do missions in infested regions."

>>6397599
"If you are ready to do the same good work we did, then you will do great here."

>>6397576
>IMBECILE
Yeah okay, fuck you too fatso. Apparently basic "divide and focus fire" is too much to ask for and I work with wanna-be-superheroes.
Everyone hates Ling lmao, understandable.
>>6397579
>tunneling machine
Huh, and not worm-shaped? I thought those crab things did something to the upper part of the soil instead. As for zombie Vanguards, that doesn't sound like that much trouble. We sure have the numbers on them. We'll see if your giant robot zombies live up to the hype, old man.
>>6397588
>"MOCA will be ready to fire if a critical Plague mass is reached and when it considers the Arcology is lost
They're really outta have someone on standby other then hired guns. Or maybe that's what the bossman was way back when, and now he's just taking the zombie cleanup jobs out of habit.

On the topic of in-charcter yapping, how do we handle all the conflicting headcanon lore? Just nebulously canon until Observer bulldoses through with his actual QM-stamped lore? People write actual sheets out here and while it's impressive effort I don't really vibe with *all* of it. Just some.

>>6397630
That's why I made all my lore about Titan, so I don't step on anyone's toes

>>6397630
> On the topic of in-charcter yapping, how do we handle all the conflicting headcanon lore? Just nebulously canon until Observer bulldoses through with his actual QM-stamped lore? People write actual sheets out here and while it's impressive effort I don't really vibe with *all* of it. Just some.
Yep, I’m just bullshitting. Some of it is me speculating based on what we’ve seen, some of it is me writing whatever comes to mind. Hell, I’ve let other people write tidbits about Og that I just ran with. I’m just here to have fun with it and pretend to be an old space trucker.

>>6397465
>>6397498
"Don't patronize me. Just because you two haven't the sense to keep an eye on who's behind you doesn't mean I haven't been there."

>>6397436
> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.

>>6397653
"Eh, no offense meant, buddy, just got bad memory. Tell you what, first round after this is on me."

>>6397436
> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together possibly in proximity, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.
"Close proximity means more enemies in the same place, which means I get to shine even more. Win-win."

>>6397337
"Me? Jealous? Over her? Cmon, that's not how I roll. I'm just warning our newbies! You- ...what did you even call her? Gammy? Gummy Gammy? Fuck that, this is gonna stick. You should have strokes more often, Fami."

>>6397347
"Shit, you got me there, GAMMY... I certainly don't mind it enough to complain, eh eh eh... Ahem. I'm thinking there might be a few orders of magnitude between all these elements and the physical realm..."

>>6397351
"I tend to leave plenty of scrap behind, so don't hesitate to clean up. Just let me get some of the credit for the kills, got it?"

>>6397442
"There's nothing of the sort between us! You've been reading too many romance stories." WIth this, he gives the robot-thing's forehead a few knocks.

>>6397507
"Ohhh, we got a shy one over here? If you make it to the end of the mission, we'll have you drink a little to loosen you up. It'll be fun, don't worry, eh eh eh..."

>>6397579
"I've had to handle some of them zombie frames a few jobs back. They keep all their reflexes from back when they were human, so don't get sloppy, and don't get overwhelmed. Work as a team and don't try to play hero."

>>6397653

Sorry, thought we got 4 new people... didn't mean offense.

>>6397595

Hey, Gash, easy on Earthling. He wasn't there. There is a huge difference between seeing the Plague on the feeds and what it can do in reality.

But Scarab and him are right. If the TPUs breach the arco, that's game over. So we have to stop them before they can get close. That means blowing off whatever bits we can.

>>6397436
"Tch, how about that, huh, gang? Newbies get a whole CONVERSATION with the bossman... and us old dogs? Nada. Zilch. How about that."
>FIELD
"The sooner we hammer these things, the better chance we have of putting them out of commission. This is plague we're talking about--for all we know they'll pop open like a water balloon and spray out... I dunno, baby plagues or something."
>>6397442
"If this gal's ever gonna settle down, Fami, it's gonna be with someone VERY old and FILTHY rich! Bonus if they're very accident-prone..."
>>6397465
"We also put together a betting pool each mission--usually the most kills gets the pot. Just make sure you don't spend it on something dumb if you win... like RUIN did~"
>>6397467
"This too. I know a guy who can get'cha anything if you're willing to pay the premi-oh, like if they see anything during the mission. Right. Yep."
>>6397530
"'Sweep the legs'? That another 'old fogey' reference or a callback to our last sparring sesh, Pops? Either way I like your reasoning--Fight smarter, not harder, right?"
>>6397599
"Just don't screw up, newbie, and if ya' do, make it memorable. We like to put together Mission Footage Watch Parties."
>>6397630
It's like Rashamon. Everyone's so fucked up that there's a grain of truth in every interpretation
>>6397664
"That's what I thought. Good boy."

>>6397673
"...do NOT call me that during work hours." Ruins glances around him in a panic, hoping no one heard that. "That one bet you won doesn't mean you get to trample on my reputation, devil of a woman..." Hoping to ease his nerves, he lights up a cigarette. Out of habit, perhaps, he also lights one for Gambler, freezing for a second as he pulls it out of the pack. Doubtlessly, he caught himself in the act, but too proud to turn back, he carried the act to completion.

>>6397619
"How long? I guess until one of us blabs about it next time we hit the bar. If not then, then when I publish to Marsnet, or the client tells someone. Maybe the boss will issue a gag order on talking about it, I dunno how close to the chest he wants to hold his cards."

"The client and surveyor have their own ship, don't they? They're really only vulnerable when they leave its confines to venture into stations or the surface of a planet. Even then, only if the Foundation has pre-positioned assets in place for the murders. I can't imagine the Foundation would be so bold as to openly attack their ship in the void, everyone would see it. No hiding in space and all that. It'd be risky for them too, even with deniable assets, the client could broadcast the survey data and the implications about the plague along with accusations of the Foundation's previous kidnapping, nothing the Foundies could do to stop it. A broadcast like that could be done super trivially. Would be hard to jam too, especially tightbeam transmissions. Jamming a ship ain't like jamming a mech or a handheld."

"As for working with them, or even taking them under our wing...yeah, I dunno about that. Working with 'em is fine, but we can't really offer meaningful protection for them while going about our usual business if they also want to do whatever it is they do normally. We'd have to keep in close contact. Hiring them just seems like we'd be expanding to fast, though I guess that is a call for the boss. The commander would have to pay for their ship's expenses, crew included, and find something for them to do, so that they aren't wasting their time and only occasionally chiming in with advice on the plague or whatever. Ultimately, we're a merc company, not everyone is in it for Martian patriotism, some of our comrades will definitely whine about it. Knowing the big picture strategic movements of the plague doesn't really help us unless we focus hard on being essentially an arm of MOCA. Though in the end, the dream of a Mars free of plague is dead unless we find a cure or strike deep into those underground convergence points. Don't think we're strong enough for that yet. I say that ideally we'd stay in contact with the client, build up our strength, bank whatever MU is necessary to sustain us while we're not hiring ourselves out, then perform an independent operation to purge the underground plague. Or y'know, maybe if we tell the solar system the truth, that'll put pressure on the people with power and money, get 'em to put out missions that'll actually address the problem so that we can work towards a free Mars while still getting paid. That's the dream anyways."

>>6397672
It's OK in character he has an edge so it was just a good excuse to type something up

>>6397619
>>6397686
"Man, I said all of that without really thinking, but how would all of that last bit even work? I guess we'd fight our way into a terraforming spire and literally kill our way through kilometers of plague rhizome until we hit the convergence point? That way we don't have to make our own tunnel, we can just use the plague's dirty work. Oh Deimos, there's no way we'd ever have the ammo to pull something like that off! I guess the other thing we could do is hijack a TPU of our own? Then we could burrow our own tunnel straight to the convergence point. From there...I dunno, we'd fight whatever is down there ourselves? Or defend the TPU until it can create an aperture wide enough to fit a massive bomb through? Or one big enough to expose the plague cores to orbital bombardment? Seems like hellava miracle operation. It should excite me, but really it is just depressing, thinkin' of what would be necessary to pull something like that off. Something real, that'd make a change for Mars."

>>6397664
"THE NEWBIES HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR ASIDE FROM COMPLETE AND TOTAL FINANCIAL DESTRUCTION BY THE GAMMY. THAT'S FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!"
"OH? I SHOULD HAVE MORE STROKES? I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IS HEALTHY, RU-RU, BUT I WILL TRY MY BEST!!!!!!!!!!"
Famine squeaks as she is bonked right in the forehead. "OWIE! I DO NOT! I ONLY READ 'DO ROBOTS DREAM OF ELECTRIC HEARTS' VOLUME ONE THROUGH TWENTY SIX!!!!!!!"

>>6397673
"IF YOU WISH TO DO WHAT I THINK YOU ARE DOING, I WOULD RECOMMEND SEARCHING FOR OBESE, DIABETIC CHAINSMOKING MEN IN THEIR LATE 50s. THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS WOULD VASTLY INCREASE THE CHANCE OF HEART ATTACKS."
"OR."
"YOU COULD HOOK UP WITH SOMEONE CUTE. LIKE I WOULD!!!!!"

>>6397630
70% of the shit FAMINE says is a non-sequitur or outright schizo babble, so I got a jail out of free card if she contradicts someone or something.
I just go with a "if I find it cool/funny I'll accept it as canon' approach.

>>6397673
Hey, I learned from the best. It’s best not to fight fair against something fifty times your mass.

>>6397693
Stuff like this is why we should suck up to MOCA. Just imagine if we get access to one of those irradiation grid bombardments…

>>6397691
Well well well, look who finally got himself off of LZ guard duty! You didn’t take Pillow’s stuff, did you? One wrong “formulation” and you won’t remember your own name for two weeks straight.

>>6397630
>everyone hates earthling
OOC: I hope I haven’t been too harsh on you by playing up the “grumpy old patriot” routine. I haven’t had a problem with you as a player, I’ve actually come to quite enjoy our little menagerie of weirdos.

>>6397673
"T'be fair I didn't talk with the guy much either. Basically just flashed my resume and got sent here with you lot. Makes sense, I guess. Line of work has a hell of a turnover rate."

>>6397664
"...I don't think you pull the nickname off too well, Ruin. If I wasn't paying attention I'd think you were hitting on your grandma."

>>6397685
The girl merely smiles as she plucks the cigarette from his hand and places it in her mouth. What more needed to be said?
>>6397694
"Hmm... not bad advice, FAMI. Not bad at all... you can be my winggal any day."
>>6397630
"Hey, I don't hate ya, Ling! Which reminds me--mind spottin' a gal a smoke or two? I'm almost out."
>>6397717
"Mhm, mhm, fair don't matter when your dead--they don't teach you that in the Martian CQC Guidebooks, but we all learned it real quick, didn't we, Pops?"
>>6397739
"Hahahah, you don't know the HALF of it! There was this one guy--can't even remember their callsign--didn't even last long enough to be included in the battle report. Man, and that stain took WEEKS to buff off of the Mess Hall floor..."

Update tomorrow sorry for the delay.

>>6397630
I mean basically. Every QM does things a bit differently, but I'm personally happy with people writing and building out their own canonical lore. The "lore" of vanguard was and to an extent is very minimalist, so I don't really expect players to be able to fit what they write into lore that isn't (or hasn't) been written. Similarly, I take some cool ideas/pointers from the lore the players write but the updates won't necessarily be consistent with the player lore since it would be really hard to do that with this many people.

You can treat the main update lore as the most "canon" if you wish, but one of the reasons why I tend to be pretty vague with mercenary dynamics and backgrounds is to give players the freedom to build their characters as they would prefer.

>>6397587
"Foun--" The gravity of the news leaves him speechless, mouth opening and closing as he tries to consider the implications. Eventually he just clams up, resorting to a keypad worn on his left arm. Each press releases a short audio burst. "**thinking**need time**"

>>6397532
[ Thanks! He's doing his best, unlike myself. ]

>>6396783
Question for the QM
When's the next/best window for a new player to roll up a Mech + Callsign?
Should I just wait until the current mission is complete and join the next one?

>>6397812
I am not Observer but I think is very safe to say you can join in whenever you want. Even during the middle or end of a mission, or when we are back in the NEST station. There is no issue in joining time.

I would say best possible window is before a mission starts so you get to play a mission in full, and can have banter/talk from the start. But thats just my opinion.

>>6397812
You can probably join right now, plenty of folks did so

>>6397630
"Chances are that GCC has at least a garrison force in the Arcology, and they can probably send a strike force from orbit. If its not on ground already. But they are a Corpo, they think only in terms of MUs. Unless they think they hold all the cards to win or they have the back to the wall, they never have the balls to fully commit for a straight up battle. Always unreliable."
"MOCA might have other mercs on standby, or it might deploy its own forces. Hard to say what the machine would do."
"The Boss had his share of battles with the Plague, the orders he sent us when we fought against it are of someone that knows what to do and that will not panic against it. Like the rest of the martians here, he will get pay and some payback for what those tumors did to our home."

//
I think it has the mech pilots personal experiences/view of the world. Some stuff might be true, other prejudices that kind of thing. Might not match perfectly but so far i think we have been fairly tame, and followed what Observer has given us in terms of lore.

>>6397686
"I am wondering the same."

"They do have it, nothing special but still a spaceship."
"The Foundation was bold enough to have that SLEEPWALKER ship of theirs get some fire from a few MOCA satellites. But I see your point Swallow. They might not be bold enough for attack that ship openly in the void. Especially since it would broadcast what it learned of the Foundation and their secret, if it felt in danger. I feel they will try something anyway, perhaps not bold more discrete. An ambush on ground or in a station. They don't sound like the kind of people that would just sit after a loss like this."

"Might be not that easy..... yeah. And they couldn't help us much beyond that i recon. We should keep in touch at least like you suggested."
"Thats the issue telling the rest of Sol or not. I wonder if any of the powers would give a fuck. If they don't, we can keep going with our plan of getting stronger if nothing else."

>>6397693
"With a great leader, a lot of MUs and a great amount of firepower ! And allies, i would prefer other former martian military units but anyone that can help us would be good. Who knows maybe we will get lucky again, we are 1/4 of the way there since we have the Boss. Its why i hope we will find more about the martian assets of the Foundation. We could repurpose what they hold for our cause."

>>6397717
"Yeah, boss made a good call gettin' in close with the big codehead himself."

>>6397795
"Take all the time you need."

>>6397812
Players have historically joined without issue at every possible opportunity. Literally even in the middle of a mission, while we were in an enemy base or in direct contact with the enemy. So feel free to join now or whenever is convenient for you.

>>6397905
"I think you're right, the Foundies probably want things done quiet like, but in the end they'll pursue things until the score is even."

"Way I figure it, someone has to give a shit. The public, if not the people in charge. Means the plague is a long term issue that can't be solved by turning the innocent into ash from orbit. They'll have to keep maintaining MOCA indefinitely if they don't work towards solving the plague permanently, that has costs. Though I know the big bot is good at keeping itself in shape with its own assets. It also means the Earth corpos have a whole conspiracy going, kidnapping people who cotton on to their shit, that has to be illegal somewhere. Or at least be bad PR. The plague's origins are also a big deal, it ain't a question with an answer anymore, if the plague was made by corpos, or some early radical settlers, then that means the plague could pop up anywhere associated with whoever made it, and that they might have a nefarious agenda. If Gambler or Gasha are right, and it *is* aliens...or God forbid, supernatural shit, then yeah, I don't see how anyone could NOT give a fuck."

"Yeah, good thinking. Expropriate the best tech from the spooks and corpos. Get into contact with and ally with or absorb our comrades from former Vanguard units."

CAPTCHA is taking forever to load for me.

>>6397905
>>6398107
Did we ever look into those guys that roughed up our guys at that restaurant? Some crazy fuckers who pulled knives in public while growling about how someone has it out for The Boss?

I think we might have already had our first run-in. That one was loud and sloppy, if it was the Foundies then those guys were meant to be a warning. I’m concerned that the next run they take at us will come with sniper rifles instead.

Or I’m just getting paranoid. I guess they could have been sent by CHRYSANTHEMUM too, considering the amount of impotent rage.

>>6398132
"I'm with ya' on that. If those clowns wanted to kill us, they wouldn't have 'thrown-down' in a restaurant, to use the parlance of YOUR times... the lead dog was really adamant about letting us know they were hired to cause problems for the bossman, too. Seems a little too on the nose for those sneaky Foundies--maybe the boss just has a lotta' enemies?"

>>6398132
>>6398145
"Haven't had time to go snooping around. Besides, I'm not the most inconspicuous sort. Gotta find someone in our little cohort who knows looks generic and knows how to talk smooth. Or is just a wizard with a computer. Figured they were who they said they were, just folks those captain has beef with ours. Happens plenty when mercs bump into each other during work, egos fray when things don't go they're way. Though you guys might be onto something with the timing."

>>6398172
"Heyyyy, you might be onto something there, Swal! Gathering intel, huh? I just had a scary thought: if the people after the boss are REALLY powerful, they must hole up in really ritzy, bougie places, right? It's a long shot, but maybe if we send a few of us to one of those fortresses of the rich and powerful--maybe one of of those really, REALLY nice resorts I've heard about--we can gather intel and turn the tables on them! Hmmm, we'd have to book some of the best lodgings, too... add in room expenses, spa and amenities, casino chip buy-in... based on my experience in the Scouts, an operation like that would take a WEEK at the very least... and it wouldn't be easy, but I'd be happy to run the gauntlet on this one for the good of the team... AND the Commander...! No, no... don't try to talk me out of it!"

>>6398179
"You sure? Those resorts cost mad mo- oh. Oooooh. Yeah, that's a great idea, I volunteer!"

>>6398179
"You're a real peach Gambler. I'm sure the commander wouldn't mind penciling it in, why don't you take it up with him. I'm sure it'll go better than last time."

>>6397744
"OF COURSE! MAY I FOREVER CARRY YOU ON MY WINGS, FOR MY SHEER HEIGHT CAN APPROXIMATE THE POWER OF FLIGHT WHEN USED TO CARRY MY BRETHEN!!!" Famine idly plays with a gold ring on her finger. "TIS THE POWER OF LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP AND HATRED!!!"

>>6398107
"SUPERNATURAL ALIEN HIVEMIND DISEASE. WE ARE FUCKED." Famine blankly responds.

"JUST KIDDING. IF IT BLEEDS IT BURNS IT CAN BE COOKED INTO A STEW. WE SIMPLY FIND A WAY TO GET A BIG ENOUGH BOMB TO BLOW UP ALL OF THE PLAGUE FOREVER."

>>6398132
"IF THEY WERE SENT AS A WARNING BY FOUNDATION THEY WERE A PRETTY SHIT WARNING. WE SHALL SIMPLY KEEP EATING THEM EVERY TIME THEY BOTHER US OR ATTEMPT TO PREVENT US FROM OBTAINING THE MOST DELICIOUS ITEM ON THE MENU: THE WAFFLE STACK."

>>6397795
"DO NOT WORRY, NEWBIE, YOU WILL NOT DIE HORRIBLY THANKS TO ME!!! AS THE OFFICALLY APPOINTED "BEST DUST WALKER MECH PILOT OF ALL TIME", YOU WON'T DIE UNDER MY WATCH!"
"HOPEFULLY!"

File: Spoiler Image (2.48 MB, 2269x2145)

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>>6396783
Well if the other anons who responded to my post here >>6397812 are correct that I can join in at any time, then here's my frame and load-out...

/CORE:
>CORE/L/DUELIST
/ARM R/L:
> WEAPON SET//DAYBREAK
> THERMAL BLADE-R
> PARRY SHIELD-L
/FCS:
> FCS/SHINKAI. [3D2 + 1 | NO MELEE HIT PENALTY]
/COLOR:
> FACTORY DEFAULT [WHITE/TEAL/BLUE]
/CALLSIGN
Cobalt 1

I'm surprised that no one did this yet. Beta is literally PERFECT for this kind of quest.

File: COBALT3.png (1.97 MB, 2000x1000)

1.97 MB PNG

>>6398278
Welcome! Beta is very well beloved around here :)

File: BOSS1.png (3.52 MB, 3000x1500)

3.52 MB PNG

> FIELD. Deploy south to the solar fields. The two enemy TPUs will appear together, but you will have more time to destroy them before they reach the arcology.

After careful consideration, you mark a deployment point south of the arcology, inside the Noachis solar fields. While the open terrain would allow both TPUs to surface together, it would also give your forces more room to maneuver. Perhaps most importantly, it was further from the arcology - meaning that your pilots would have more time to gauge the behavior and capabilities of the plague-infested TPUs before committing to an attack.

The GCC representative clicks his tongue. "Fine with me. Gives us more time to do some evac, I think. We'll blow the tunnels for you."

Less than an hour later, a chain of demolition explosives trigger across a twenty kilometer stretch of the Noachis transit tunnel. The underground structure implodes, leaving only a faint linear depression in the overlaying plain. The seismic signatures corresponding to the two TPUs slow and turn, moving southward towards the solar fields. That was your signal.

Your mercenaries board the dropship. Several salute. Several smile. A few scowl or make expressions that are harder for you to identify. You wish them good luck all the same.

The SONS OF OLYMPUS board last. They wore heavier containment plate - oiled and sealed against radioactive and nanological hazards. The Major had split them into squads, equipping support-gunners with top-of-the-line target painting units you requisitioned during your earlier supply order. Given the scale of the target your mercenaries were hunting, you tell them to engage conservatively. The Major rasps a laugh.

- Will do. Some survival instinct, still intact. -

The pilot flares his engines. The dropship eases out of the hanger into the void and recedes from view.

As your mercenaries begin the long drop towards the Martian atmosphere, you spend a few minutes mulling over everything you had learned over the past week. Mercenary work - or military work - rarely rewards blind speculation, but the information available to you makes it difficult to do otherwise.

The first Martian plague outbreak had depopulated the entire equatorial region, not to mention several lunar colonies and countless orbital habitats. The loss of life and infrastructure was difficult to grasp - representing something worse than a scar, a violent discontinuity in your collective memory. When you were somewhat younger, you had hoped and prayed for an explanation beyond simple, human hubris - but now that you had it, you found yourself unsure of what it represented.

Perhaps it was malice - a weapon directed against your people, when your planet was on the cusp of triumph. Perhaps it was hubris, still - a manufacturing or terraforming experiment, concealed from prying eyes. Perhaps the plague was something truly alien - a formless dweller that existed long before human boots pressed footsteps into Mars' crimson sands.

You sigh, feeling a patchwork of old interface scars send tingles running up and down your spine. You were a mercenary now, but your duty towards Mars had been sworn once and then again and again at the base of that towering mountain. With some reluctance, you ping your client again - whose ship had been loitering around the NEST station over the past few days. If you were to commit to something more...dutiful than mercenary work, then he and the researcher were probably the best leads you had at the moment.

You open a link. His pale, water-blue eyes stare back at you.

> CONTACT. Ask about his plans and retain means of contact.

> INFO. Attempt to purchase any additional survey data they possess.

> KEEP. Ask for one or both of them to stay aboard your vessel. This will make them less vulnerable attack while increasing your company's target profile significantly.

As you wait for a reply, your mercenaries begin to make landfall. Your company dropship whips through a dull red sky splintered with sunlight. Annular solar collectors dot the landscape like barnacles, expanding into stadium-sized structures as your dropship descends in preparation for landing. Building-sized supercapacitor banks buzz with stored potential.

You had chosen a safe landing point far from the expected point of contact. Your mercenaries disembark in good order, assembling into strike groups before departing to scout the area. Within a few minutes however, a massive plume of dust looms over the southern horizon. Orbital surveillance reveals your target to you first. You see details amidst the whirling dust.

Control towers, matted with contamination. A central armature rotates glacially, bringing a starship-grade excavation torch into view. Tens of thousands of taproots hang, sampling at the sand below. Plague-static howls over the radio.

A minute later, it is joined by a companion.

> MERCENARIES, PLEASE DECLARE YOUR ACTIONS.

[As a brief explanation, combat against large enemies will rely on a module system. Dealing damage to enemy modules will inflict equivalent damage to the unit's total hull HP. Destroying a module will inflict a penalty on the enemy unit AND inflict additional hull HP damage determined by a multiplier (for example, destroying a module with 100 HP and a 2x multiplier with inflict 200 bonus damage against hull HP). Destroyed modules will be replaced by new modules, representing deeper structures in the target. Debuffs, other than radiation damage, applied to modules do not carry over to the main hull.]

Rolled 46 (1d100)

Testing my luck before posting my sheet

>>6398297
>>6398293
[CRACKLE]
"NO WASTE TO TIME. BOLD FAVOURS THE FORTUNATE, AND MY NAME IS FAMINE "FORTUNATE" FAMINE."
>Double move to BETA (2). GOTTA GET TO THE TARGET BABY!
"I TRUST THAT THE OCULUS HAVERS CAN OBSERVE ALPHA IN MY STEAD. FOR I MUST MOVE."

>>6398295
>INFO. Attempt to purchase any additional survey data they possess.
"TELL FUNNY MAN TO GIVE US INFO WE NEED INFO WE NEED INFO NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!!!!!!!!!"

>>6398182
"Atta' boy, Snow. Heavy is the crown, y'know what I mean?"
>>6398185
The mercenary stares the bird down for a time. "... Gee, THAT didn't sound genuine!"
>>6398278
"New meat for the Terrain Processor Grinder, perfect timing! Show us whatcha got, pal!"
>>6398295
>CONTACT
"Don't like to leave 'em high and dry, but drawing a big ole' target on our company won't help them either if they wanna do their own research or go their own way. Divide and conquer, y'know? They need help? We'll give it to 'em, but they'll be harder to track if they're a smaller group."
>>6398293
"Here's my game plan, gang: we've got enough of a pack to split between the two--we'll need two teams for each: one team for a flank, another for the front! Pick enough modules off these things and they go down like a house of cards in a typhoon! Let's ride!"
>DOUBLE MOVE TO DELTA (4)
"I'm headed to BETA's flank! Don't wait up! Oh, and before I forget..."
>OPTIONAL WAGER: MERC WHO DESTROYS THE MOST MODULES WINS THE POT! ROLL UP, FOLKS

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>6398293
>MOVE to NODE DELTA (4)
>SCOUT
"There'll finally be songs worth singin' t'day."

>>6398295
>KEEP. Ask for one or both of them to stay aboard your vessel. This will make them less vulnerable attack while increasing your company's target profile significantly.

Let them come.

>>6398312
I couldn't scout with that move anyways so if I'm gonna roll a 1 that's a good place for it.

>>6398293
>MOVE TO DELTA (4)

>>6398295
>> INFO. Attempt to purchase any additional survey data they possess.
"You will give us the information we need, or I will come and take it from you."

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>6398293
>>6398305
"Guess I'll chip in, just don't be surprise to be left in the dust!"
MOVE3:
>TPU-A-SD

>>6398295
> CONTACT. Ask about his plans and retain means of contact.
"we should meet up with these guys later for any more info but right now there dead weight and if we lose them in some "accident" it would at least give us a bit more info on how the foundation silences undesirables"

>>6398321
fuck me, guess i cant see shit

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>6398278
Ey, we finally got a Daybreak user.

>>6398295
> CONTACT. Ask about his plans and retain means of contact.

As much as I like expanding our company, it'll be hard for 'em to go about their business while tied to us. We'll also have to count on the Foundation ambushing us on jobs whenever we're decisively committed against other foes. Give them means of contact, so they can ask for our help again if they need it, and if we ever need info on the the plague we'll be in touch.

>>6398297
>Move to ALPHA
>Scout

>>6398305
*Swallow mimes squeezing the trigger of a spray bottle*

Seems 4chan posting is/was down, I couldn't post for a bit. And on the anniversary of the last big hack too.

Rolled 3 + 3 (1d6 + 3)

>>6398293
> Move 1
Alpha 1

>Scout
>RADAR//OCULUS [LOAD: 3 | +3 SCOUTING

Since you aren't having any luck scouting, lets see what my Oculus can spot

>>6398295
>KEEP

>>6398331
I'm happy to move to DELTA 4 next turn and use my buff to hit the DC5 scout again

That'll let other people double move to get closer to the enemy nodes (with easier scouting)

>>6398329
yeah posting is terrible

Rolled 1, 1, 2 + 1 = 5 (3d2 + 1)

>>6398295
> INFO
All variables must be accounted for. More data means accurate predictions.
>MOVE 2 from starting position to ALPHA (1), then to DELTA (4). Once at DELTA (4), I will attempt to scan / scout the area.
I just realized that even if Beta is top tier, irl I don't fully understand the rules here lmao. If I make any mistakes, someone please correct me.

>>6398305
A cold, loud voice over the radio: "Meat? Hmm... just watch and learn."

>>6398329
>Ey, we finally got a Daybreak user.
It reminded me of Thea's piloting bonus. After checking the archive, it turns out that the description is almost 1 for 1. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to include backstory into the build.
Thea Romanov ~ Skill: Spite and Metal (For each turn in combat, +1 to attack stat to a limit. Must take Will tests to retain maximum stacks)

>>6398305
"I WILL WIN FOR I HAVE ALWAYS WON. SIGN ME IN, DOC."

>>6398342
Scouting uses d6s, not your FCS. Your FCS is used when you're actually attacking things. Just roll a 1d6 to see what you get.

>>6398342
scouting rolls are 1d6 I think, so maybe reroll with 1d6+1
there is a mod we can potentially purchase to make then 1d7

>>6398305
"I WILL WIN FOR I HAVE ALWAYS WON. SIGN ME IN, DOC."

>>6398342
Scouting uses d6s, not your FCS. Your FCS is used when you're actually attacking things. Just roll a 1d6 to see what you get.

let's see if this actually goes through!

>>6398342
scout rolls are 1d6 I think, might want to reroll

Also I think you can move+action or move+move (I think that is what the +1 in the core is for)

>>6398342
>Beta top tier, not understanding the rules.
No, you're fine. That move is legal. I guess QM just isn't showing the DCs for nodes we aren't right next to, whether that be because of a hidden mechanic where we gain more info on nodes the closer we are to them, or if it is just a legacy habit of his because he is used to us only having one move and one action, or else having double moves and no action. But with the light mech upgrades, we can be anywhere on the map practically from the get-go.

>Thea
I'm just happy we are getting some variety in our builds.

Rolled 1 + 3 (1d6 + 3)

>>6398295

> CONTACT. Ask about his plans and retain means of contact.

> INFO. Attempt to purchase any additional survey data they possess.

Both work

>>6398297

Eugh, never get used to the damn static the Plague gives off. Course, with what we now know about the Plague, I'm not so sure it is just static...

>Move+scout delta

getting the lay of the land.

Rolled 6 (1d6)

Ah, I see.
Thank you guys for the clarification on scanning rolls.
Let's see how well I do this time.

>>6398293
"Reckon it's time to break some kneecaps."

>MOVE TO BETA NODE

>>6398295
> CONTACT. Ask about his plans and retain means of contact.

>>6398293
"Alright, there's no time to dawdle. How quick do these things move?"
>DOUBLE MOVE TO DELTA (4)

>>6398305
"Note me down for the wager, please"

>>6398369
6 on a DC of 5, lets fucking go! Our son does not miss.

B: "Pilot, the Predator Array is online and the E-Warfare hacking suite has found vulnerabilities in the enemy network. Filtering through their data as we speak. Is there anything specific you would like me to notify you of?
Furthermore, I am sending a copy of my attack route to our allies. As soon as I am ready, I will head to GAMMA (3) and scout the location rather than head straight for the Terrain Processors. Taking time to scan the GAMMA (3) will give time for the slower allies to catch up. Simulation analysis and combat predictions indicate that optimal strategy will be for all units to engage the enemy at the same time."

T: "Feel free to tell 'em but... yeah, I don't think they'll bother to listen. These are mercs, buddy. Not soldiers. Until proven otherwise, you should assume that they're here for the fame or the paycheck. Hell, as if proving my point; one of them has already issued a wager to the others, and several have accepted."

[KING KRAB kracks his knuckles and kotinues in a contented, well-fed, well-rested voice:]

>>6398295
>KEEP
"You will be protected at last from the notorious packs of cutthroats presently infesting these routes."

>>6396999
[darkly] "I am of two minds of the matter. I will weigh in, doubling the bet in gold, silver in bars, coins by the handful, paper bills, credits, teeth, scalps, all manner of thing."

>MEN
"There is always a city of men. There is always a magic work of men. Man always falls. Tell the story again, arrogant man. Tell the story again, prideful man. Tell me the story again, man of greed, says God, as Babylon falls. Et-fucking-cetera."

"Wolves cull themselves, man. And is the race of man not more predacious yet? I stand in the dust of a dead planet and see ruins and mystery and a residue of nameless rage and I am reminded once again that what I cannot do, man will do in my place."

"I will place my bet here, pro tem."

>ALIENS
"That Plague seems to me some queer unruly god abducted from a race of degenerates. Sprays of blood ejcaulated from the arteries of the earth with tremendous force, issued forth all-staining from the incarnate dam of war himself. And they are degenerates because these old ones are gone like phantoms, leaving behind no tools, no art, no buildings, nothing to grapple with. Just this endlessly strong force, the Plague, a catastrophe, where even the smallest crumb can devour us."

"I hate these aliens, I've decided. They exist without my knowledge, without my consent."

>DEMONS
[carelessly, dismissively] "It cannot be demons because these aliens are demonstrably too faggy to be demons."

>>6398297
"We descend like a storm of Fomorians across the starry seas... Gentlemen, this looks like the high road to Hell to me." [boisterous laughter]

[with total malice] "I entreat you all to not die here because if you would, I then will have outlived you. In the circuit of a few suns all trace of your destruction would be erased save for one. Among the heaps of ashes and dust, I chisel your graves and write a funny epitaph and over your sorry carcasses I will hold that last word until the proper suzerain of the world comes to claim me at last."

[extremely pleasantly] "I have also prepared a very special surprise for you all after this—"

[a beep as he checks the visual feed again] "Oh my God." [a sharp inhale] "Giant enemy crabs."

>MOVE TO ALPHA 1
>MOVE TO BETA 2

>>6398295
> INFO. Attempt to purchase any additional survey data they possess.

>>6398297
>DOUBLE MOVE to BETA (2)

"**affirmative**moving**target**primary**out**" The newbie's clipped cadence is nowhere to be heard over the comms. Wonder how many quips he's got saved on that soundboard.

>>6398305
"**apologies**response**negative**out**"

>>6398107
"And we will make sure it leads them to their death. Until i am alive there will be no even score."

"Maybe i am getting too old and too pessimistic, but I find it hard Swallow. They have not given a fuck so far. Will the hard truth change something ? I really hope you are right."

"Its our best shot for get the Dustwalkers somewhere."

>>6398132
"Heard nothing about them. I thought you had just a fight with a bunch of pyschos, while getting something to eat."
"Hmph packed with people in the Nest Station ? I want to see them try. I welcome target practice like their kind even out of my mech."

>>6398293
>>6398297
>DOUBLE MOVE TO BETA 2
"Lets move."

>>6398295
>CONTACT. Ask about his plans and retain means of contact.
"I have thought about keeping them with us, but like Swallow pointed out it might be difficult to protect them while doing our contracts. It might be difficult for them to do their work too."
"If we keep in contact we can use their services and we can protect them if they come in to danger. Its not the full protection they would deserve, and not the full collaboration we would get of their skills and expertise. But its still something."
"On the other hand ...... an argument can be made to keep them anyway. Even with more danger. We can use more kin, we can use their expertise. It makes us stronger in the end, we have always been resourceful and adaptable. And we are going to have to kill more Foundies, not just because its a good thing : the Foundation will make a move on us sooner or later. A ground ambush, or a strike force against our spaceship. We could also get lucky and hunt them down in another one of their secret holes on Mars. It will happen."

>>6398293
>Double move to BETA
>Move to TPU-A-FR

>>6398293
>MOVE TO NODE BETA
Alright, time to get after em!

> INFO. Attempt to purchase any additional survey data they possess.

>>6398370
Oh right, also
>CONTACT

>>6398412
If the Foundation decides to bring the fight to us, that’ll just save us the time of digging up their next hidey hole. I welcome all forms of target practice.

>>6398412
If the Foundation decides to bring the fight to us, that’ll just save us the time of digging up their next hidey hole. I welcome all forms of target practice.

That being said

>>6398412
If the Foundation decides to bring the fight to us, that’ll just save us the time of digging up their next hidey hole. I welcome all forms of target practice.

That being said, we shouldn’t keep all our eggs in one basket. If we take them in, then the Foundies can eliminate the Dust Walkers and our new friends in one shot.

>>6398442
>>6398444
>>6398446
Why is this website so fucked today.

>>6398393
"If Gambler, Corvid, and the rest are in for double, then so am I."

>>6398472
>>6398442
>>6398444
>>6398446
As I said above in a spoiler >>6398329 it was like that yesterday night, the 14th was the anniversary of one of the last big hacks from last year. It is probably the same guy, up to his old tricks. Posting/images/etc are all noted as being "down" on the blog and sites like downforeveryoneorjustme.